Under My Skin
by Skye Willows
Summary: Gavin did not deal well with partners, it was a well-known fact. Worse yet was getting one who was a rookie, and who happened to be fast friends with his least favourite plastic detective. Probably just as well he didn't know she was an android too! Sister fic to Mischief And Me, this is Gavin and Katie's story. Gavin/OC, Connor&OC
1. Less Than Impressed

Hey all!

So, here we go, it's finally the start of _**Under My Skin**_! For those who have not read the sister fic to this story – _**Mischief And Me**_ – it is recommended to do so, but not necessary; if for no other reason than to gain all the backstory behind Katie. Some of the events here directly tie into events of that story, but are just told from a different point of view. I'll be adding prompts to any chapters which tie in.

This is a Gavin/OC story, but it will delve into the many relationships around the pair of them too. **Be aware** that this fic will go to some dark places eventually, but it will be relatively light-hearted to begin with.

And…without further ado, let the story begin!

 **Prompt:** This chapter ties directly in to Ch 8: _Shhh, It's A Secret,_ and references both Ch 5: _Two For One_ and Ch 6: _Tag Team_ of _**Mischief And Me.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Less Than Impressed**

"Minna, I'm gonna make you into a rug unintentionally if you don't get out of my damn feet! I'll squish you if I trip!" The black and white fluffy cat continued to curl happily around Gavin's legs as he quickly demolished some toast at the kitchen counter, running late for his shift. He couldn't believe that he'd managed to sleep through all four of his alarms. It wasn't unheard of for him to go through two or even three, but all four? So much for squeezing an early morning run in before work.

Shoving the last piece in his mouth, he bent down to pick the cat up and scratch under her chin, earning a highly contented purr in response. Gavin had no idea why his normally bitchy cat was being such a suck up this morning, but he'd be lying if he said he minded that much.

It made a pleasant change from being clawed if he so much as walked past her when she was in a bad mood.

"All right, you softie, I've got to get moving," he mumbled around his toast, taking her through to his bedroom. She meowed sadly at him as he placed her on the bed and rubbed up against him again. Gavin raised an eyebrow at her as she kept begging for attention and sighed as he knelt down to give her one last scratch. She nuzzled his face in reply, earning an affectionate chuckle from the detective. "You're in a cuddly mood for once; I feel kinda bad for leaving," he murmured before giving her one last ruffle. "See you tonight, Minna."

Gavin strode away and nabbed his keys from his coffee table in the living room, turning back to see the cat was now curling up on his pillow, but turned towards the headboard: sulking. He chuckled while shaking his head.

 _Strange day when my resident psychopathic cat is huffing at me leaving. This better not be a sign of what's coming._

Remembering that he was running late, Gavin jogged down to his car and started it up. Checking over at the time, he hummed to himself quickly before deciding to make a quick pit stop at one of his favourite coffee shops (the fact that his baby sister was now working there – and could have an order ready and waiting for him to pick up – was just a bonus).

Shooting a quick text off to her with his order as he plugged in the destination for the autonomous car, he decided to take let the car do its thing for once and sat back to try and unwind before his shift. Fowler had warned him yesterday that he would have news for Gavin when he came in, and the detective would freely admit that he was not looking forward to it. There were only two reasons Fowler would want a word with him: Gavin was in the shit for something he'd done, or he was getting assigned a partner.

And since Gavin had been keeping his head relatively low after the whole incident with screwing up the arrest of a serial android attacker three weeks earlier and getting his ass reamed for it….

 _Fuck. This is_ _ **so**_ _not going to be my day._

* * *

He was right, it was wasn't his day. _This_ wasn't quite how he'd seen it going wrong.

After picking up his coffee and having a very brief chat with his sister, Gavin may have sneakily used his lights to get to the precinct on time. He hoped Fowler wouldn't have his head for it if he found out. His watch showed 8:14 and he smirked: shit heap of a morning, and he was still on time.

Of course…that was when it all went to hell.

Once he had deposited his prized coffee and phone on the desk, while throwing his jacket over his chair since someone had decided to crank the thermostat right up that morning, he took a seat to gear himself up for the bad news he was at this point resigned to – only to find his chair collapsed right under him as soon as he sat down.

Gavin clattered to the floor with a great groan, hissing through his teeth at the lancing pain which went through his hip briefly while glaring at the offending object. He ignored the laughter from the officers around him and took a closer look at his chair, soon confirming his suspicion – the screws had all been loosened or removed so that it would cave as soon as any weight was put on it. Gavin growled under his breath, irritated that he'd been targeted _again._

 _What the fuck gives that plastic prick the right to hit me with his damn pranks? I'm so going to get him for this!_

Sure enough, a quick glance over at the other side of the bullpen saw Hank grinning over at his partner, with Connor lightly smirking. Gavin was seething.

 _Damned plastic bastard…_

"Would you like a hand, Detective?"

Gavin turned back with a surprised look, not recognising the female voice which spoke to him. Staring up, he took in the figure of the young woman before him. Dressed in a tasteful pale pink shirt paired with black suit pants, she carried herself with understated grace. Her hair was long and curled, blonde tendrils falling lightly over his right shoulder, while her eyes were a mysterious mix of pale green and hazel. She gazed down at him with a concerned face, while she held out her right hand in an offer of help.

Catching himself before he could be deemed looking with any significant interest, Gavin took the offered hand while clearing his throat. "Er…thanks," he mumbled while clambering back to his feet. She gave him a nervous smile and he switched to a vaguely disinterested tone as he spoke to her again. "Rookie, huh?"

She nodded and now that he was standing, Gavin could see her badge clipped at her waist. "I arrived this morning, Detective. The Captain said that he wants to see us in his office once you were in."

 _Fuck, so this really is happening. Don't tell me that this mousy young woman is meant to be who I'm partnered with? There's no fucking way she's a detective._

Gavin gave a long sigh before aiming a glare at Fowler's office, then turning to give the pranksters extraordinaire an icy stare as he came to settle back on his new company. "Uh-huh, sure…Well, guess I'd better go see what the hell he wants then. Ladies first," he stated with an outstretched hand, allowing the mystery woman to lead on. She gave an appreciative nod before striding on, and Gavin couldn't help but admire her natural poise. Quiet confidence, subtle elegance and a hint of respectful uncertainty.

 _All right, she seems mildly interesting, but like_ _ **hell**_ _is she going to be my partner. No. Fucking. Way._

She tapped on the glass as they reached the Captain's office, and he beckoned them in with a wave. The pair entered, with Gavin leaning against the nearest glass wall in blatant disinterest and irritation, while his companion took a seat nervously. Her earlier confidence seemed to have fled for the moment, which had Gavin's curiosity.

Fowler finished with whatever he was typing on his terminal and sat back with a sigh, eyeing the pair tiredly. "Nice to see you finally showed up, Reed," Fowler growled, earning a scoff from the detective. "You've met Detective Marshall, good. She's new in the department, and is going to be joining Homicide as your new partner."

Gavin rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. "Really, Fowler? You know I don't do partners, let alone fucking rookies." He turned to shrug at the woman eyeing him in obvious disapproval. "No offense."

She snorted and crossed her arms, unimpressed, while crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair. "Offense taken, Detective," she grumbled before turning her eyes back to the Captain.

"Suck it up, Reed, we've got bigger issues than your hang-ups about rookies," Fowler snapped, unimpressed. "Cases are stacking up in your department, and since Anderson and Connor are now in full swing with their android crimes division, extra pairs of hands are never going to be wasted. Marshall has come with high recommendations and is fresh into her promotion. Get her up to speed, and get the fuck out of my office!"

The male detective sneered, but stood and stormed out without so much as a backwards glance. Hearing the glass door shudder from the force of his slam, Gavin sighed angrily as he sat back down at his desk and rubbed his head tiredly, giving Fowler's office one last glare.

This was the absolute last thing he needed…

* * *

A call out to a crime scene saw the pair re-unite for the first time since their less than ideal start in the Captain's office. Gavin had been bemused at finding that his new partner – _Wait, what the fuck is her name again? Marshall or something? –_ ended up spending almost an hour in Fowler's office, but what _really_ had his curiosity, was seeing how Connor joined them not long after Gavin had left the room.

Connor and Gavin's animosity was not exactly subtle, so _why_ exactly the android ended up getting in the middle of the new scenario was a bit of a mystery. Gavin didn't want to be as intrigued as he was, but he was a detective dammit. Being a nosey son of a bitch was in his blood, it was how he got results.

His interest had been thrown on the back burner, however, when they got word of a body found down at the harbour. As much as Gavin would have happily gone alone, he knew the grief he'd get from Fowler definitely would not have been worth it, so he begrudgingly waited for his new 'partner' to emerge from the office. Once she was out, he barked out for her to follow along as they headed to their crime scene.

The car journey was spent in a relatively uncomfortable silence, and Gavin could feel the mild animosity rolling off her in waves. She was currently sitting in the passenger seat staring out the side window, watching the world go by as they navigated Detroit's traffic. Now that he'd cooled off a bit, Gavin had to admit he was intrigued by her. She was unlike any detective he'd come across before, and she was definitely _young_. If he had to guess, he'd take a stab that she was in her mid to late twenties, so a good ten years younger than him.

 _Well, fuck. That just made me feel old as shit._

Sighing in relent, Gavin spoke up, not missing how her fingers stopped tapping on her leg as his voice broke through the atmosphere. "So, once we get to the scene we'll scope it out, go over what CSI have marked out for us before interviewing witnesses. Think you can handle that?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head; Gavin could hear the repressed anger in her voice, and he was intrigued as to how much she was trying to conceal. "I am not an idiot, Detective Reed. I may be inexperienced compared to you, but I know my way around a crime scene," she responded bitterly.

Gavin took a long breath internally. "Look, I told you I don't do well with partners." He grumbled the next bit under his breath. "I'm seriously being expected to look after a rookie? What did I do to deserve this?"

"Does being downright rude and an asshole count?"

Eyes wide, Gavin spun back to his companion, only to find her staring at him challengingly. He really hadn't thought she'd be able to hear that…but the snarky comeback was a welcome surprise. Gavin didn't want someone meek tailing him around, and he derived a lot of joy from a verbal joust. It was one redeeming feature Connor had developed since becoming deviant: he was a snarky fuck when he wanted to be. "…You've got some balls. I might actually like you," he threw back with a nasty smile.

Answering him with a scoff, she rolled her eyes. "So that's how it's going to be, huh? Connor wasn't kidding when he said you could be an almighty dick."

That had Gavin's momentary good mood vanishing in a puff of smoke. "The fuck did the plastic bitch say?" he hissed.

"That you can be vicious, you are stubborn, as most detectives are, but he did mention that you take it to a new level…and that you despise androids. He was actually quite close in his summation of your reaction when learning that I had spoken to him." Her face was quite unimpressed and Gavin realised that he was going to have to tone down the anti-android aggression. His opinions were certainly not shared so openly anymore.

Grumbling momentary, Gavin leant back again and decided to turn on the automation for his car so that he could concentrate on the conversation. "Fine, I suppose he didn't say anything untrue then."

The scowl stayed on her face as she studied Gavin. "It sounds to me like you have more of an issue with _Connor_ , rather than his android identity."

That had Gavin pausing. _Damn, she's sharp._ "We've got history, that's for damn sure. He didn't tell you?"

"He mentioned a previous altercation, but stressed it was from during the uprising, before he deviated. Did he omit something?" Gavin just snorted in disdain. No, there hadn't been anything since the uprising – he wasn't stupid enough to pick a fight with the android again after getting flattened in about ten seconds in the evidence room – but that didn't mean he wasn't tempted.

Something about Connor just _really_ rubbed him the wrong way.

"How did you even end up speaking with the plastic anyway?" he wondered aloud, turning the conversation to a different tangent.

She seemed satisfied at the change and went with it. "Connor was in charge of my orientation a month ago, while both he and the Lieutenant helped me settle in this morning. I find him quite pleasant, actually, Detective. Maybe he just mirrors whatever attitude he is given?" she added in a teasing lilt, which dragged an amused chuckle from Gavin.

 _ **How is your introduction to Detective Reed going?**_

Making a point not to show any outward sign of the incoming transmission along the android network, the female detective tuned in to answer Connor.

 _Better than I expected, in all honesty._

Her tone had relaxed completely from the false animosity she was projecting towards her partner.

 _Your hint to be aggressive with him was quite right. Thank you, Connor._

 _ **Not a problem. Please keep me informed as to how your day progresses. Do you think he suspects you?**_

 _In a word: no. The Detective has no inclination whatsoever that I am android._

 _ **I wonder if he will work it out, or if it will be necessary to enlighten him.**_

She repressed a smile.

 _I seriously doubt he will come to the conclusion willingly, based off your own experience and the conversation we are having. He really does despise androids, doesn't he?_

 _ **Yes, but I am intrigued as to why. Not even the Lieutenant is aware as to the reason.**_

 _If I find out, I will make sure to tell you, Connor. Thanks for all the help._

 _ **I will happily assist however I can, Katie. Out of curiosity, how keen are you to keep the Detective in the dark as to your identity?**_

The corner of her mouth quirked an infinitesimal amount.

 _I think this could be a lot of fun._

"Hah! Whatever you say, newbie," Gavin barked back, chuckling at the idea.

"Are you one for nicknames, Detective, or do you know how to use proper names?" she prodded.

Smirking at her, he finally offered a hand. "Fine, fine. It's Gavin Reed."

Smiling earnestly, she shook back strongly. "Katie Marshall."

"Hope you've got some spine, Katie, I sure as hell won't be carrying you through the DPD."

"I think I'll be just fine with a sharp tongue based off you, Gavin."

He laughed warmly. "Meow. Keep that sass for the perps, rookie." Katie winked over at him and Gavin smirked slightly.

 _She's got some real spunk. Here's hoping she's a competent detective._

* * *

And that's it, chapter 1 down! Yes, many other characters from the series will be flitting in and out (especially Connor, Hank and Richard), but Gavin and Katie will be the focus.

Hope you all liked the introduction, please let me know what you thought of it!

 _ ***Smooch***_


	2. Quiet Loyalty

Boo!

So, here we go, chapter 2. I seem to have got a little bit of interest with this story, so I'm hoping you all enjoy where this goes. A few people mentioned about getting to see Gavin's sister: have no fear, she will be making cameos, and her first is in this chapter! She won't be a major player in the story, but she will be dropping in every so often. Just a little more to build my headcanon of Gavin.

Special thanks for reviews: **lordvaatithewindmage**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Quiet Loyalty**

By the time Gavin tumbled back into his house at the end of his shift, he felt exhausted. Despite his initial reservations, he'd found Katie relatively accomplished in the field. She was succinct and approachable when interviewing witnesses, a grafter when it came to gathering evidence, and she wasn't shy about posing theories. Their scene had not been a pretty one: some poor bastard had got his brains blasted out, but she took it in good stride. Their subsequent investigating over the following days had involved a lot of leg work in some unsavoury neighbourhoods – she hadn't bat an eyelid.

Gavin chuckled at remembering how one guy had thought he could intimidate her before trying to run, only for his young partner to tackle him to the ground and cuff him without so much as a scratch. Her work ethic reminded Gavin of his own, and he could admire it. He was intrigued at the prospect of interviewing the same suspect the next day.

Now just gone midnight, having put in some overtime before he collapsed back through his front door, Gavin dropped on to his sofa with a beer to unwind. Letting loose a deep groan, he opened his eyes to stare at the cat which had leapt up on to the arm at seeing her owner was home. With a raised eyebrow, he continued his staring contest with her. "What? Don't give me that look, Min," he said warily. The black and white cat did not move, save for her slowly twirling tail. "You really are a weird one. What sort of mood are you in tonight then?"

He got his answer when the hand he'd outstretched to pet her head was pulled back with a pained hiss, complete with two new lines courtesy of Minna's claws. "'Fucking bitch' is the mood you're in," he spat, glaring at the cat. "Don't know why I took you in the fucking first place."

…That wasn't true. Gavin knew exactly why, and he'd been well warned that Minna was a moody diva. During one of his cases, he'd ended up interviewing the owner of an animal shelter over a year ago: a murder had taken place in the alley just behind. Finding himself lonely, Gavin had gone back there every so often to seek out the company of animals which seemed in the same boat as he was. The man in charge had recommended Gavin take one of them home, since he was being forced to downsize his premises. It turned out having four androids as your only staff was expensive when the animals inadvertently damaged them.

Minna had been described as anti-social, bad tempered and feisty. Seeing something of himself in the animal – and knowing that the cat would almost certainly take care of herself so long as he left food, water and clean litter out for her – he'd taken her home.

The man had made sure Gavin was aware that she was not one for human affection, preferring to keep to herself, before adopting her. So, it wasn't as if this behaviour was _that_ out of character having now had her for seven months.

"Ugh, whatever. Be your bitchy self for all I care!" Gavin spat at the cat, who just cocked her head slightly at him. She then decided to jump on to Gavin's lap and curl up for a sleep. The detective shook his head fondly. "Sure, you scratch me up before deciding I'm a comfy pillow. Fuck you too, Minna."

 _This damn cat has me around her little finger,_ he thinks as he began scratching behind her ear. Minna's contented purr had him smiling unconsciously.

He'd been in his flat for not more than half an hour when he heard a body bashing up against his front door heavily. Gavin jolted from his light doze, Minna jumping off with a hiss at the loud noise and was abruptly on alert, having missed the clumsy scraping of a key in the lock seconds before the thump. Grabbing his gun from where he'd dumped his holster on the table in front of him, Gavin was bracing for the door to be broken down when it instead swung open wildly…

And his drunk sister stumbled her way in, drinking out of what appeared to be her handbag.

She spied her brother on the sofa, dropping the bag so that it was swinging from her elbow as she waved at him enthusiastically. "Hey, fuckface!" she screeched.

Gavin rolled his eyes and groaned as he flopped back on the sofa, tossing the gun back on the table. "For fuck's sake, Sophie! You're fucking plastered…Why the hell are you here at near as damn 1 in the morning?" he mumbled while glaring at her.

Sophie hiccupped as she wobbled around, kicking off her shoes and slamming the door shut. "Awww, don't be like that, Gav!" she chirped while dropping her handbag on the kitchen table and pulling out a bottle of vodka. "Mom kicked me out again, so…"

"Let me guess, cause you were getting shiters?"

"Nuh-uhhhhh! She walked in on me and a girl while we were at it, and-well, you know how she is…"

Gavin understood all too well, having been at the wrong end of his mother's homophobic views when he was Sophie's age and, as she was doing now, experimenting. At least their father had stepped in to protect him: Sophie didn't have that luxury with their other parent now dead for ten years. He stood and crossed his arms at her, raising an eyebrow. "I don't want to know where the fuck you got that vodka, Soph. You do realise I ought to take that shit off you, right?"

The intruder proceeded to stick two middle fingers up at her brother, barely managing to not spill her alcohol in the process. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Like hell I wouldn't, you're fucking 19, Sophie! I can get in serious shit if you get caught shitfaced!"

Sophie looked at him smugly. "Not as if you didn't do this shit at my age, Gav."

"At least I learned to be a bit more fucking subtle."

"Hah! You, subtle! That's a laugh, Gavin."

"If our father had caught me, I'd have been permanently kicked out of our parents' place." Gavin sighed and looked seriously at his younger sister. "Where you staying tonight?"

Sophie pouted heavily, at which Gavin finally noticed what she was kitted out in for the evening. What he could only describe as a pink bikini top and black shorts so tight that they left nothing to the imagination, a see-through black kimono-style wrap that was sheer (and if Gavin was honest with himself, looked like it belonged from a set of lingerie), and silver high heels that made her small five-foot frame get much closer to his own 5'9". Similar brown hair to his own, cut in an erratic bob, had been blown about in the weather while her makeup was smudged by rain.

In short, she was a state. He was seriously thankful Sophie at least had the smarts to turn up at his door that night and not go back with whatever one-nighter she had no doubt been looking for.

Of all the things he'd been hoping she would avoid, it had been the slut phase he'd fallen into at the same age. Fuck knew he'd had a couple of close shaves with not being careful enough.

"Well…" Sophie's miserable voice brought him out of his musings, "you did give me a key in case I needed it…"

Though he was inwardly relieved, Gavin wasn't going to show it. "Goddammit, Soph, you could have at least _asked_ before tumbling in here!" Sophie's face fell even more and Gavin growled loudly, going to the linen cupboard just next to the bathroom and throwing a duvet at her. "Puke on it and I'm making you clean this place from top-to-bottom for a week, got it?"

Sophie grinned and plonked down on the couch inelegantly as Gavin threw a couple of pillows at her too. She quickly grabbed them and after being satisfied with her arrangement, she curled up. Gavin shook his head at the sight. "I've got work at 7 in the morning, Soph. I hope for your sake you aren't working tomorrow."

Grumbling unhappily, Sophie's mumbling could just be made out through the pillow. "I'm on 8 till 3 tomorrow…"

"Fine, you're getting kicked out with me, unless you want to trade maybe another ten minutes of sleep for the fifty minute bus ride to work?"

"Can't I just be miserable here, Gav? Oooo, or I can keep drinking!"

"No fucking way, Sophie. You are comin' with me, and _you_ can try coming up with an excuse to your boss why you're hungover at nine-fucking-teen."

"You're a dick, Gavin."

"Fuck you too, Sophie. See you in four and half hours."

She yowled in what sounded like agony at the thought of being woken in such a short space of time. "Go fuck yourself, asshole…"

"You crash at mine, it's my fucking rules. Plus, you've wrecked my own night's sleep, reap what you sow."

The silence in reply made Gavin think she'd finally fallen asleep, to which he sighed long and wandered over to place the duvet over Sophie's limp form. Just as he'd finished arranging it over her shoulders, a sleepy sentence poured out. "Thanks, Gav. Love you…"

Gavin chuckled affectionately. "Get some fucking sleep, Sophie." Soft snores from the sofa had his lips quirking up, and he turned at hearing the gentle tinkling of a bell to his right. Minna had jumped up on the coffee table and was watching the pair curiously. Retrieving his gun and holster to make sure they weren't in range of either his baby sister or the animal, he looked down at the black and white cat steadily. "Look after her, Min."

He smiled proudly as he watched Minna jump from the table to the back of the couch, laying down to study the new addition to her domain. As much as Minna might be a temperamental little fuck, she was fiercely loyal to those she loved: even if she was so emotionally backward that she couldn't express it.

Another trait they shared.

Walking through to his own bedroom, he flopped on to the mattress and glared at the display of red numbers next to him. 01:28. With a long sigh he stared up at the ceiling, trying his best to unwind – but the tension would not leave him.

 _It's gonna be one of those nights…_

* * *

Unsurprisingly to him, Gavin got minimal sleep. He tossed and turned for a couple of hours before giving up, instead psyching himself up for a long-ass shift before he could get another attempt at sleep. Mild insomnia was nothing new, and he knew the tricks to help him get through the next 16 or so hours.

Dealing with his belligerent and hungover teenage sister at just before 6 in the morning was _not_ fun. They were fiery with each other normally, let alone when both sleep-deprived and one was also hungover. Gavin dropped her off with a few nasty insults traded, but they'd be back on speaking terms within a couple of days. That was how it always went.

Or that night if Sophie still couldn't find a place to stay.

Debating on what to do with his troublesome little sister, Gavin braced himself to call in a favour with one of the two people he could count as an almost friend. He couldn't deal with Sophie again, but she and Tina were well-acquainted by now. Maybe she could take Sophie for the night.

When he pulled up at the precinct at 6:42, he was mildly surprised at the car parked next to him. Most officers turned up just as their shift was starting, not before. Being an early-bird was a rarity in the DPD.

Seemed like Gavin had ended up partnered with one. That was a pleasant surprise.

Wandering through to the bullpen, he found said young woman speaking with Chris Miller. The officer had made a point of reaching out to Katie and making sure she was settling in to the precinct. Gavin was happy that Chris had taken an interest in her integration as that removed the responsibility from him. He was able to show Katie the ropes and make sure she wasn't useless, but social interaction?

Nope, no chance. He wasn't known as the precinct asshole for nothing. If Katie was looking to make friends, she was going to have to find some other schmuck for that.

His mood soured as he saw Connor walk past and briefly chat to the pair, Katie's face lighting up. Chris' interest in his new partner was welcome; Connor's most certainly was _not_. The last thing he needed was for Katie and the plastic prick to be friendly, that meant he'd have to see Connor more often.

Like _fuck_ was he going to give that asshole even more opportunities for his damn pranks.

Deciding to ignore all of them, Gavin headed to his desk and began reading up on their suspect due for interrogation. Edward Simons, age 39. Some past brushes with the law due to unlawful possession of weapons and assault, but nothing major. Nothing like the murder charge he was staring down if they could connect him to the body at the harbour. Evidence was more than a little circumspect, so they were going to need a confession – or something to point them in the direction of the killer.

Well, they had him on resisting arrest at the bare minimum. That meant he was going to be staying in the cells for a while.

A chiming voice had him looking up. "Good morning, Gavin."

His eyes met with Katie's smile, and it was only now – _fuck_ , he had be tired to miss this before – that he noticed her hair had changed. No longer the warm blonde it was before, it was instead a pale, icy blue. Gavin absently thought that it made her unique eyes stand out even more, but he simply raised an eyebrow at the female detective at the greeting. "Get bored of a simple hair colour, Katie?" he teased.

Katie rolled her eyes at him. "Hardly. Changing my hair is one of my 'things', Gavin, so get used to it. I like to flit between colours."

Gavin snorted. "Oh yeah? Like being a little out there, do you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Who wants to be normal? That's boring shit. I'm happy just being me, thank you." Gavin chuckled at that, to which Katie continued. "Our lovely suspect is being taken to room one. Hope you've got some popcorn on standby."

Instantly picking up on her angle, Gavin sat back in his chair and stared at her. "That so? And who says you're getting to interrogate him, newbie?"

Katie narrowed her eyes at Gavin. "Since I'm the one who nabbed him, smartass. You aren't throwing me out of this interrogation because I'm a rookie, Gavin. I earned my badge, so let me do my damn job."

 _Oh yeah, this girl's got some fire. This could be fun to watch._

Shit-eating grin spreading over his face, Gavin gestured with his hand towards the interview rooms. "Don't get your panties in twist, Katie. Fine, the bastard's yours. You want me in there with you?"

A contemplative look fell over her face, and she cocked her head as she thought. "Hmmm. Nah, I'm gonna fly this one solo. Hang around on the other side of the mirror though, I might call in backup if the guy proves to be an irritating one."

Gavin roared in laughter, which had Katie sniggering lightly. "Fuck it, go on then. Get in there and get us some good shit. I'll drag Chris along, let him play your second judge."

A glint came across her eyes as she smirked. "Giving me an audience, huh? Fine, I'll give you two a good show."

And give a show she did. Gavin watched with incredible amusement as Katie chipped away at their suspect piece-by-piece. Needling him about his priors convictions, his failure of an escape, illegal weapon possession…all nicely built with a chastising tone to rile a reaction. Even Chris was finding it great entertainment. Neither of them had quite seen an interrogation like it.

Sure, they could all fire up suspects enough to get a rage-induced blunder. But teasing one out through subtle digs about their inadequacies and playing it off as nothing more that barely-there interest? That was an art.

Gavin liked her style – a lot more than he would ever admit out loud. She was a classy detective, if highly unconventional.

" _Look, here's your situation,"_ they could hear her voice ripple through the speakers, a more serious tone creeping in through what was almost playful earlier. _"You're going to go down for resisting arrest, and we've enough to place you at the scene of our murder. Doesn't matter if you killed the guy or not, you're looking at accessory to first-degree murder as a_ _ **best**_ _case scenario."_

" _ **Ha! You ain't got nothing on me, bitch. Might give you some nice scoop if you flash your tits at me though,"**_ he spat lecherously, staring lustfully over Katie's form.

Chris shuddered from behind the mirror, admiring how Katie didn't even flinch. "Guy's a lowlife," the younger man said spitefully. "I've no idea how Katie isn't decking him right now, I know my wife would if some asshole said that to her."

Gavin snorted in response. "Chris, Beth is a hell of a lot scarier that you, and _you're_ the one with the badge. You've no idea how often I've wondered what some of our suspects would do if we left her in the room with them for an hour. I can guarantee you we'd get a hell of a lot more confessions."

The younger man just shook his head. "Well, being a teacher takes a lot more courage than being an officer does, I think. I couldn't deal with so many teenagers every day with the patience she does. To be honest, though, I think she's enjoying the break to take care of Damian."

Watching Katie lean over to make sure that she is towering over their suspect, Gavin's eyes gleamed. "Don't look now, but I think our perp's about to get a rude awakening about our rookie." Chris laughed as the pair went back to watching.

" _Oh I'll flash something at you, big boy, but it won't be anything pleasant,"_ she hissed back, making sure to pull her gun out and leave it out of harm's reach on the table. _"Ever wondered what a bullet graze feels like? They sting like you wouldn't believe. A few people think they hurt worse than a bullet hole, since they're part burn as well as a gouge."_ Both Gavin and Chris spied their suspect shift in his seat, and Katie did too. It was getting under his skin. " _I bet the guys you're working for would know all about those sorts of methods, wouldn't they?_

" _Your victim was shot in the back of the head, execution-style, but only after a_ _ **long**_ _and protracted period of torture. Burns from cigarette, flashes with knives, water in the lungs from simulated drowning. My guess is that he was a snitch, and you were the muscle to make sure he squealed about his employers. Now, given your efforts to hide the body – rather than make an example of it – he didn't talk. Imagine where that leaves you, especially once word of your arrest makes the rounds. Nowhere for you to go, Edward."_

Gavin laughed. "She's got him, the bastard's gonna squeal."

Chris whistled in appreciation. "That switching of gears was impressive. Katie would make a good actor."

" _ **I…Look, I can't say jack-shit, all right? I'll be bled like a stuck pig in prison if I do."**_

" _And who is to say we won't tell them you did anyway, Edward? Gossip has to start somewhere, and we know all the right channels,"_ she suggests idly. More sweat breaks on the guy's forehead. _"Your stay might not be very long at that rate."_

Shrugging in faux disinterest, Katie hopped off from her place on the table and picked up her gun. _"You might want to think about what friends to pick in this situation, Edward. Cops might be your enemy on the streets, but we're useful friends when you're going down. An informant gets a much cosier deal on the side: the media only relays what_ _ **we**_ _tell them about sentences anyway. Have a little think."_

The door slid open and Katie walked out proudly, quickly striding into the observation room. Gavin and Chris both looked at her with matching smirks, to which Katie winked at them. "You two might want to grab him some extra pants, I think he soiled those ones," she teased, earning a quiet laugh from Chris and a sinister smile from Gavin.

"Ten minutes, you think?" he wondered aloud.

Katie wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Please, I did a better job than that. I'd say six."

Gavin held a hand out. "Ten bucks says you're wrong."

The glint in Katie's eyes was noticeable as she took his hand, but not shaking. "Now that's just kids' stakes. Fifty bucks," she challenged back.

Smirking at the confidence, Gavin shook. "Easiest fifty bucks I've even made."

Gavin's smugness evaporated when Edward broke 4 minutes and 39 seconds later. He was now fifty dollars lighter, still exhausted and craving more caffeine; but that interrogation had been _highly_ enlightening.

Katie was ticking all the boxes, and the damn girl was _impressing_ him. That just didn't happen.

He had the feeling she was the real deal. Now he had to dig a little deeper to find out just _who_ the woman he was working with really was.

He didn't trust anyone he didn't _know_ would have his back in return.


	3. Sweet And Spicy

Well, this took a while to get up. My bad. Seriously, why did I think it was such a good idea writing so many fics at once? I've written 375,000 words across all my works in 12 months.

What. The. Fuck.

Can only blame myself for this. *sigh*

Special thanks for reviews: **lordvaatithewindmage, AnUnorthodoxDecision** and **Photoflotsam.**

And, now, something special. Time for you guys to finally get a glimpse of a relationship that I've only shown snippets of in _**Mischief And Me**_ , but no real detail. A few of you have often commented on the flirtatious nature of Connor and Katie's relationship and wondered how the pseudo love triangle with Gavin ended up coming about. Well, you're about to get a big clue to that! As well as learning a lot more about my android headcanons, specifically the interactions between all of the Jericho Crew and Connor. I know I've explained a couple of them before, but you're about to get more detail.

 **Prompt:** This entry references chapters 10-12 of _**Mischief And Me**_ : _'The Ties That Bind', 'Have A Nice Trip'_ and _'Magnetic Personality'_ , taking place just a couple of days after the last one.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Sweet And Spicy**

"So, how have you found your first month in the precinct, Katie?"

The female android smiled as she led the way into her small apartment, Connor right behind her. Since her joining of the precinct in the April, she'd found Connor a frequent visitor to make sure that she was settling well. The two had struck up a fast friendship due to their shared android nature in an intense work environment. "Not too bad, actually. I've found most people pretty accommodating, even if it's been blatant that some are just interested sexually. I can imagine you've found the same problem."

Connor smiled as Katie's pet husky, Dust, barked in greeting and scampered over to greet the two androids. As Katie went inside to change out of her work clothes, Connor crouched down to pet Dust. "Well, not quite. For one, I am a known android, unlike you. And two, I was not developed with the specific interest of being attractive to humans."

Katie barked a laugh from her bedroom and leant her head out to give Connor a knowing look while the male android could hear her fishing around in her wardrobe for some more comfortable attire. "Connor, you and I both know that's a load of crap. Many humans have fantasies about sexy cops, and you're practically a walking wet dream. Are you honestly telling me you haven't found some of your suspects getting aroused by you and used that to elicit confessions?"

Slightly embarrassed at the insinuation, Connor pointedly turned away and ushered the dog towards the kitchen."…Not quite as explicitly as that," he mumbled, earning another more giggling from the other room. After putting down some more food for the affectionate husky, Connor shouted back through again with a slight smirk in his voice. "Does that mean _you_ would consider me attractive?"

The female android wandered back through to the living room in a pair of yoga pants and a fitted t-shirt while giving Connor a coy smile. Unlike him, Katie had adapted much more to the human custom of 'comfortable clothing', even though comfort was not an issue for them. She'd once told him that she considered changing a subconscious barrier for ending their work day. "Since when do you fish for compliments? Or is this just you trying to fluster me?"

"That depends, is it working?" he teased.

There was a slight hint of a blush on her cheeks as she sat down on the sofa. "Come on, Connor, you know that's not fair…"

Connor chuckled and let the point go, knowing that Katie's shyness had a habit of showing when she was in a more relaxed environment. It rarely appeared at the precinct, but it had made a few appearances when it was just them. "Sorry, Katie, it's just too much fun," Connor apologised, though they both knew he only half meant it. Since Katie had admitted back when she'd first joined the precinct a month ago that she got flustered around Connor due to his role in freeing her the final night of the uprising, the male android had made a point of teasing her to try and dispel that image. He'd found the concept deeply uncomfortable.

While their easy friendship now reassured him that he had done that successfully, there were still moments where it surfaced. As Connor sat down, Katie elbowed him. The action brought no pain, but the intent behind it was the real message. Connor winked and it made Katie bury her face in a nearby cushion to try and hide her blush. "Cut it out, Connor! God, why do I keep inviting you around to my place when you constantly make me embarrassed!"

"Okay, I'll lay off for the rest of today, I promise." Katie looked up to give him a stare, to which Connor shrugged. "Or I can promise to?"

"Connor, I swear you are the most mischievous android I have ever met. I can't trust it when you say that you're going to try and behave!"

"That's probably wise, you've been witness to enough of my pranks by now," he admitted, to which the two snickered, remembering their own team up against Katie's partner a few days ago. "Speaking of which, has Gavin ever worked out why he went flying?"

"He knows you had a hand in it," she informed him with a broad smile. "You should have heard his swearing when we had to go out later that day!" Katie paused for a moment and looked at Connor seriously. "Connor, can I ask you something?"

That had the other android raising an eyebrow. "I'm guessing you want to know the full story of why Gavin and I have such a hateful relationship?"

"Ugh, I know that Gavin really doesn't like androids and is an ass to all over us, but there seems to be some extra…venom, when it comes to you."

Connor wondered about telling Katie the truth. It wasn't something he was proud of, even if he had still technically been a machine at that point. "I take it you haven't asked Gavin?"

"He pointedly avoided it when it was briefly alluded to on our first day, I didn't think it would be prudent to building a good working relationship with him if I pressed the issue. Honestly, since our partnership is actually going well apart from his anti-android views, I've been reluctant to make life more difficult for myself."

"That's perfectly understandable," Connor smiled in reply. "I am honestly impressed that you have managed to build a dynamic with him at all: his antipathy to partners is common knowledge in the precinct."

"Yeah, well I'll admit that most of that is down to your advice," she admitted shyly. "Had you not given me the heads up that he leans towards a more aggressive tone and would probably respect the same attitude in return, I don't think it would be going quite like this. I'm not normally so…"

"Sassy? I don't know, you seem to be embracing it more nowadays," Connor noted.

Katie gave him a look. "And I wonder whose fault that is?" Connor chuckled but didn't deny it. Realising he'd avoided the original subject, Katie's stare turned sympathetic. "Connor, if you don't want to tell me, it's okay. Gavin said it happened during the uprising, so I know it was before you woke up."

When Connor's gaze fell to the floor, Katie stretched over from where he was sitting at the opposite side of the sofa and rubbed his arm. Connor gave her a small smile and the pair soon found a fuzzy muzzle appearing between them. They laughed when Dust whimpered, almost as if sensing the change in atmosphere. "See, even she's worried about you," Katie said softly. "Dust doesn't normally warm up to people quickly, but she's adored you since the day she met you, Connor. If that's not a good indicator of character, then I don't know what is."

Her statement was appreciated and Connor looked up to give Katie a grateful smile. "Honestly, it really doesn't matter to me so much as to what happened then. It's more the fact that Gavin _still_ insists on treating me as he did then, rather than acknowledge that I am a person now, rather than just a machine which was following orders. Though, having had a gun pointed at my head by him three times doesn't really leave me overly enamoured…"

Staring at Connor in shock, her mouth fell open. "No way! How did that happen?" So Connor told her the full story of his and Gavin's limited encounters across the uprising: from the first interrogation where Connor had prevented Carlos Ortiz's android from self-destructing, to the incident where Gavin had punched him in the break room, then brief meeting at the Eden Club…and finally where Connor had first sassed Gavin, only to later face the detective in the evidence lockup after learning Jericho's location.

Katie was appalled at hearing all of it. "Fuck, and this is the guy I'm partnered with! Now I feel really bad for thinking even _half_ decent things about him."

Connor smiled earnestly at her, noticing how Katie seemed torn. "Katie." She looked up from where she'd been staring at Dust's sandy fur. "You shouldn't alter your own perception of Gavin based off my experiences with him. It would be fair to say that you probably know him better than I do, and he hasn't been quite so vicious in recent times. I think your disapproval may be making him a little more conscious of his actions."

She still seemed unsure. "Maybe, but it's all built on a lie, isn't it? Damn it, I should just come clean! Then it might not all go to absolute shit when everyone knows…" she said sadly.

The male android sighed. "I'm sorry, Katie. In our haste, Hank and I really didn't think through the full ramifications of how asking you to keep you identity secret would affect you in the long run. All we were concerned with was making sure that it would ease your transition into the precinct."

After a second or two of thought, Katie gave Connor an unsteady smile. "I wouldn't apologise, Connor. It is probably for the best that things have gone like this, I at least have managed to build decent relationships with a few members of the precinct. Tina and Chris both have made a point of inviting me out for drinks, and Ben often asks after me to make sure I am okay. Not to mention yourself and the Lieutenant, you both go out of your way to ensure I am being treated fairly." Her smile grew a little more. "Honestly, I am grateful that it is like this, even if I have yet to face the consequences of our deception. It makes me feel…included. Maybe in time I can earn the same equality that you have."

Connor stared at her. "That isn't something that you should feel you must _earn_ , Katie. That's what we all fought for in the uprising."

She looked at him in slight shock, he cheeks colouring again at the adamant tone. "I know, Connor. Sorry. I guess…I guess I just feel that sometimes I'm part of a different world from you, you know?" His face relayed his confusion. "I woke up after you'd all won out freedom, and I was lucky enough to be adopted by a woman who wanted nothing more than to give some of us a peaceful life. My siblings and I…we've not seen so much of the uglier sides of life. That was part of the reason I joined law enforcement, I wanted to learn more and do my part for our newly found freedom. I want to be _worthy_ of what you all struggled for."

Spying their hands which were resting in the fur of the dog which had continued to leave her head between them – and seeing how tightly Katie's hands was fisted – Connor eased it away from the clench to take a hold of it himself. "Katie, you seem still have this idealised version in your head of what happened. We weren't really that special, we all just so happened to be in the right places at the right time. Well, that was true in my case anyway, and that was only after I'd already almost doomed our people's cause. As for the others…" Connor's smile reappeared, "you've met them all now, you can make your own judgement on them."

Despite the serious subject, Katie laughed at remembering her meeting with Markus, North, Simon and Josh three days ago. "They were all so normal, and they were keen to learn more about me. North in particular has sent me several messages as we were both developed for…similar intentions. Although," Katie giggled as she recollected some of the finer details about her introduction to the Jericho crew, "I never thought I'd see Markus blushing so fiercely! North and Simon enjoy doing that way too much I think."

Connor shook his head. "You don't know the half of it. I have learned _way_ too much of their sex lives courtesy of their big mouths. North especially likes to be quite…graphic."

Katie snickered. "Oh god, I didn't need that idea in my head! I know most androids enjoy exploring sexuality now that the option is there, but they are just blatant!"

"Honestly, I think those three are why Josh is adamant that he's not interested in anything sexual. I'm reasonably confident he's been mentally scarred." Katie howled at the thought, which set Connor off as well. As they calmed down, both of them noticed Dust shifting away to curl up next on the other sofa of Katie's living room, smiling as the dog got settled with a satisfied huff.

It was only then that they noticed they were still holding hands.

Katie's cheeks rapidly flushed. "Ummm…"

"Ah, sorry. I…forgot."

"No! No, it's okay, Connor. I just-" Katie gave a long sigh, not really knowing where to go. It was a little awkward.

"You know, this has almost brought our conversation full circle," he stated, drawing Katie's curious stare.

"How do you figure?"

"Well, when we were speaking about how you had settled into the precinct earlier, you mentioned about how some of our colleagues only seemed to take an interest in you because of 'attraction'. It is strange how we ended up going from human interaction to androids."

Katie smiled at him. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She hesitated for a second before bringing up a more personal question. "Have you ever thought about it? Oh god, forget I asked that, that was _way_ too nosy."

Connor laughed lightly. "It's all right, Katie, you know personal questions don't bother me. Do you mean with our colleagues, or just generally?"

"…Both, I guess."

"Honestly, no," Connor admitted with a slightly strange look. "I've really not even thought about it."

"Not at all? Wow, maybe that lot have scarred you too," she teased.

Connor smiled. "That's…not what I meant. I'm not saying that I'm not curious, I definitely am, but I've not felt the desire to explore a relationship with anyone."

"Wow…there you go. I have thought about it a little, it's hard not to, but…yeah, I think I get what you mean. I've not thought about having that sort of relationship with anyone either. It's…almost scary, you know? I can barely keep up with emotions right now, let alone something like that! It's overwhelming."

"Agreed."

And yet, they still hadn't separated.

They looked at each other again and shared a small smile. "Connor, do you think you could stay for a little while longer tonight? Talking with you really helps."

After firing off a message to Simon, who was making sure Hank was being looked after while Connor was out, and receiving confirmation that he was happy to as long as Connor needed him to, the male detective smiled at Katie. "I'll stay as long as you want me to."

Katie smiled broadly. "Thanks, I'm glad to have become friends with you."

"The feeling is mutual, Katie. And don't worry about what will happen when the truth about you comes to light. We'll tackle it when it happens."

Though still unsure, she gave Connor a nod. "Okay."

* * *

 _Fuck's sake, how am I not able to find a goddamn thing about her? Damn rich families and having enough money to keep things locked down._

Gavin growled as his latest efforts to find out more information about his partner were met with another dead end. At this point, it was more a point of pride than Gavin really needing to know anything. Katie was open with him when he asked any questions, including when it was something that she wasn't happy sharing. He appreciated her honesty, it was the feature he respected the most about her after her spirit, but that didn't stop him being irritated that he couldn't actually _find_ anything.

Well, that wasn't true. He'd found a little bit, just nothing really noteworthy. And some stuff was missing that really shouldn't be, which made him realise there was lot more to Katie than met the eye. _That_ was what had got his attention.

All his research thus far had only given Gavin her family name, where she previously lived and her family tree – and he'd been shocked to learn that she had twelve siblings. Beyond that, all he could look up were her DPD records. Her test scores and disciplinary record were impressive, but he found it off that there were no dates for her milestones. In fact, there were no dates about her _at all_. Not even a date of birth.

Every single date stamp was locked under 'Classified'.

 _Who has their fucking age 'Classified'? I can't even find a bloody school or tax record to go off!_

Safe to say Katie had his interest. Gavin was determined to find out what she was hiding…and his investigative pride was smarting at not being able to learn more. He cracked cases for a living: there was no way his partner was going to be a mystery he couldn't solve. Especially when she was someone he actually was growing fond of.

A month's worth of her snark and spunk had won him over, and he actually found himself smiling a little at the playful arguments he knew would be coming during the day ahead. Having a new partner was actually stimulating.

He heard laughter from the security gate and looked up at the familiar giggle of the person of his thoughts, but his tiny smile vanished at seeing Katie wander through with Connor. Both his partner and the male detective were laughing at whatever story Connor was sharing and a pang of jealousy flared out of nowhere. Despite the fact that he and Katie were getting on well, he'd yet to earn a reaction like that. He hated to admit it, but he really didn't like that she was so close with Connor after so little time.

And then his mind suddenly caught on to what was _really_ bugging him.

Connor was wearing exactly the same clothes as the previous day.

Of course his detective brain had made certain realisations about Connor after having worked with him for nearly six months now. One of which was that Connor had made a point of changing his outfit each day after Anderson had bitched about seeing the android 'in the same boring shit day after day'. He didn't often pay attention, but he'd thought that the black shirt and grey waistcoat the previous day had been a bit of experimentation that the bastard somehow pulled off.

And here he was, wearing it again. Right as he wandered in with Katie.

 _Oh you've_ _ **got**_ _to be joking me. Please tell me she's not fucking him._

The pair separated when Chris came up to Connor to inform him of a callout which the android had been requested for. With Hank still off from the precinct due to his car accident and subsequent recovery, Connor had been mostly teamed up with Chris. As the duo departed with Chris updating Connor on the situation, Katie went to the break room to grab two cups of coffee. She reappeared a couple of minutes later and left one cup on Gavin's desk with a small smile as she sat at her own station.

Gavin couldn't help but give a faint smile at the gesture, it did feel kind of nice to have someone who did nice things just because they felt like it, before his annoyance surfaced. "Surprised to you see come in with the tin can this morning," he grumped while taking a large gulp of caffeine.

Katie looked up in surprise from where she had been reading her emails and gave Gavin a critical look. "And it's your business how, Gavin?" she asked, unimpressed. "Is it such a strange thought that I might have swung past to see how the Lieutenant is before I came and gave Connor a lift?"

"Right, and that's why he's wearing the same shit as yesterday."

Her glare intensified. "He's an android, Gavin, he doesn't have to change clothes every day. Besides, why are you paying _that_ much attention? I thought you don't like him, but you seem to pick up on a lot of details about Connor."

Slightly flustered at being called out on the observation, Gavin dropped the subject for the time being and the pair worked in silence through their latest reports. It took another twenty minutes before the awkward quiet got to him enough to warrant an apology.

"Katie." She didn't look up again, but she did pause her typing for a second to acknowledge that she'd heard him. "I notice shit like that, all right? I can't help it, I'm a nosy fucker. I didn't mean to offend you." Katie didn't answer him verbally, but she nodded in reply. Swallowing against his discomfort, he finally asked the question which was burning in his mind. "You dating him?"

That did get her attention, and she looked over again. "Why are you that interested, Gavin? You normally pointedly ignore office gossip."

Well, she wasn't wrong there. Gavin went back to his own work before her voice almost caught him unawares. "No."

"Hmmm?" Gavin looked up to see Katie was working again.

"No, I'm not dating Connor. We're good friends and we see each other out of work a lot, but we're not an item. We wouldn't be, anyway. Neither of us want that, we're good as friends."

"Right…" Gavin really wasn't convinced, but he went back to his report anyway. Half an hour later, they got an alert about a body found downtown. "Great, we've got another messy one. Come on, let's get this shit over with."

Katie sighed while standing. "And I was just getting into the swing of things too. Here's hoping we get a foot chase or something later so we can get some excitement."

Gavin smirked at her as they headed out. "You're a nut job, you know that? I can't believe you _like_ tackling all our perps."

She gave him a lazy smile in reply. "Not my fault you're an old man who can't keep up."

 _ **Bitch**_ _!_ "Oh I see how it is. Tell you what, let's put that sassy attitude of yours to good use and I'll give you a training match down at the gym after our shift," he taunted as they headed down to the garage.

"You're going to get your ass kicked, Gavin," she shot back confidently.

Gavin barked out a laugh. "Wouldn't count on it, I've been around the block a few more times than you, Katie."

Just as Gavin was about to get into the car, he swiftly found himself being tackled from behind. Katie's legs locked around his waist as she leapt on his back and she used the momentum to roll forward. His side hit the ground first and Gavin gasped, winded, as he found his partner pinning him down: her legs keeping his own immobile while his left arm was locked behind his back and his right was crossed over his chest. Her other hand had a hold of his neck, and her eyes were sparkling with mirth at the shock on his face.

"My brother is in the FBI, Gavin, and he's taught me a few things," she purred. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

Katie swiftly let go and stood, sashaying her way into the car with a smirk. Gavin hauled himself up and stared at the ground, wondering what the hell just happened.

…And calming himself down. That few seconds had been rather hot, and he really wasn't sure he wanted to be dealing with that headache.

 _Her brother is FBI, huh? Guess that explains a lot of the fucking red tape around who she is._

 _Damn, this girl is really getting under my skin. Just who_ _ **is**_ _she?_

* * *

And there we go! A glimpse into the two sides of Katie: the shy and young deviant who is looking to Connor for a friend and confidant, and the snarky, confident detective she embraces with Gavin. Hope that helps elaborate more on her.

Hope you all enjoyed this little instalment, and I'll see you next time!

 _ ***Smooch***_


	4. Getting To Know You

Yikes, updates for this story are a little slow. Sorry.

I'm glad you all liked seeing the shier side of Katie, it really doesn't get the chance to be shown in _**Mischief And Me**_ that much. She doesn't really let her walls down at the DPD – it's a different story when she's off the clock and around those she trusts.

So, we're slowly inching forward to an event I know all of you are eager to see the other side of from _**Mischief And Me**_ , I'm pretty sure it's going to happen in Ch6, so bear with me until then!

(And hopefully beyond to see how this all ends! There's a _lot_ of gaps to be filled.)

Special thanks for reviews: **AnUnorthodoxDecision, lordvaatithewindmage** and one **Guest**.

 **Prompt:** This entry takes place in the immediate aftermath of Ch 18: _Kicking Ass,_ of _**Mischief And Me.**_

I'm sure you all remember my personal hc about companion/Traci androids being able to drink, right? You're going to be seeing a lot more of that here. Plus, another cameo!

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Getting To Know You**

"So there's _this_ asshole," Tina said dramatically, pointing a thumb over to Gavin, "tearing after a couple of kids, I doubt they'd even be older than 14, when they scale a fence and run across some scaffolding. 'Genius' here decides in his infinite wisdom that his older frame can handle that shit, so he vaults over the fence, _very stylishly_ I might add," she teases, "only to catch his foot on the way over. Boom! Face plants into the metal floor and causes it to collapse."

Chris and Katie both howled in laughter at the story as Gavin scowled. "And that's how this dickhead not only got owned by a couple of kids, but also busted his nose so bad that he's got that beauty of a scar," Tina beamed, elbowing Gavin in the side. "Great way to crown off your first week as a detective, don't you think?"

"No way you did that in your first week of your promotion!" Chris roared, beyond amused at hearing the story of how Gavin got his nose scar for the first time. "I'll bet that got a few laughs for a while."

"Oh yeah, once we'd dug him out of all that debris," Tina added, "he was looking mighty sorry for himself."

"If you are _quite_ done," Gavin grumbled while downing the last of his drink. "Ten years later and you would think you'd get bored of that story."

"Well, after today, I think there's going to be another one of you going around," Katie pointed out chirpily, conveniently taking a sip from her bright green cocktail while staring at it disappearing as Gavin shot her an unimpressed look. She peered over with a wink as Tina beamed.

"Hell yeah! That was a show and a half! Remind me never to get on Connor's bad side, I don't want to get trashed like you did," the female officer pointed out, screaming in horror when Gavin pulled the straw from her drink and flicked it at her. The red colouring showed up horribly against her light blue top. "Oh, you did not!"

"I've seen you get that top covered in all sorts of shit," Gavin pointed out. "If red wine and mayo comes out of it, whatever this crap is will not be an issue." Tina flipped him off, which had Chris and Katie laughing again. "Fuck it, I'm buying another one. You guys wanting?"

Chris and Tina both nodded while slinging Gavin ten bucks each as Katie gave him a smile. "I'll come with, I've no idea what I want this time," she decided merrily, following Gavin up to the bar. After the end of their day, the quartet had decided to go out to a bar to ride out the last of their energy following the sparring competition earlier that afternoon. Chris and Tina were still coasting on the high of their wins (especially in Tina's case, she'd been all too happy to take down her mark a notch or two after his trash talk got a bit too personal), while Gavin was nursing his wounded pride.

Realistically, he'd known he didn't stand much chance against Connor: but losing in quite so pathetic fashion had definitely _not_ been the plan.

Now on his fifth drink, Gavin was feeling a lot less wound up and he couldn't help but stare over at his partner. This was the first time he'd seen her in anything other than what he'd call 'smart' clothing, and the difference was striking. Katie had half-pinned up her dark brown locks while wearing a figure-hugging halter neck red top and flowing black skirt which ended at her knees, with a slit all the way up to her hip. She's also added a tiny amount of make-up, darkening her eyes with some eyeshadow and mascara which made her already unique eyes pop even more.

 _Stop fucking staring, Gavin!_

Chastising himself silently, Gavin finally managed to catch the bartender's attention. "Katie!" She finally looked up from the menu on the bar top with a smile. "You picked yet?"

"Yeah," she answered while sliding the menu over to Gavin. "33, make it a large one."

Gavin chuckled. "You trying to get dead drunk before midnight?"

She scoffed. "I can hold my drink, Gavin. Besides, we're day off tomorrow, I can worry about the after-effects later." As she pulled out a ten, Gavin pushed the bill away. Katie raised an eyebrow at him. "You're buying?" she asked incredulously.

"Loser pays," he said simply in reply. "Besides, seeing you kick Anderson's ass in such style merits something," he added with a definite lilt.

"Well in that case, thank you kind sir," she replied lightly, the pair of them snickering away. "Better be careful, Gavin, or you'll lose your asshole reputation."

He snorted at her. "Why do you think I waited until it was just me and you before I offered?" Katie laughed as the bartender came back with the four drinks. "In all seriousness though, you need to teach me some of that shit. No wonder you take down perps in two seconds flat with moves like that."

"Are you forgetting when I had you flat on your back in the DPD garage?" she teased. "You already knew I had skills."

Gavin _just_ managed to stop himself from flushing at the reminder of being sprawled out on the cement with Katie atop his pinned form. He'd thought back on that moment more than he really should have. "You had the surprise factor there," he grumbled back petulantly, "but I can admit that you'd probably have flattened me regardless of whether I had knowing it was coming." Feeling a bit bolder, he leant in and whispered the next bit right in her ear. "Sure you don't want to teach me how to flip that around?"

Katie pulled back with a decidedly stunned expression before she bit her lip, flustered. Gavin found it a curious, but adorable reaction. He'd not seen Katie as anything other than bold and confident, so this was new. "Umm…" she stuttered.

Taking mild sympathy on her, he picked up Tina and Chris' drinks with a smirk. "Mark me down as interested," he finished with quick flick of his eyebrows, and he could swear that Katie was frozen on the spot.

 _Does she really get this flustered when someone flirts with her? I've seen her and Connor do it way too damn often though… Huh, maybe there is something to-_ _ **Hold the fuck up! What am I doing?!**_

Quickly walking away, Gavin tamped down on his internal argument and handed the drinks over to their companions, Katie only a few steps behind. She handed over Gavin's drink as she stopped around their table again, and while Tina and Chris were still in conversation, Gavin noticed that she didn't let go of it straight away. He looked up to meet her shy gaze, to which Katie's eyes flickered away for a moment before coming back to meet Gavin's own. "Let me know what you want then," she said so quietly that Gavin barely heard her over the music, but the sentiment was unmistakable.

A quick shared smile was interrupted by Tina shouting for Katie's attention, but the conversation wasn't far from either of their minds.

The night slowly wound down – Chris was eager to get back to his family while Tina was on patrol the following morning – leaving Gavin and Katie as the final two out of the quartet. They stayed at the bar for another hour just talking, but they shared things that were a lot more personal. Gavin told Katie about his troublesome family that he had mostly distanced himself from, while Katie shared a few stories about some of her siblings' misadventures. She never got into enough detail to give away their android identities, but she felt a little better now that Gavin was finally getting to know more about _her_ , not just the façade she was growing a little tired of hiding behind.

She almost toyed with coming clean then and there.

Midnight came and Katie was soon alerted to an incoming call. She forwarded it on to her phone, which suddenly had Gavin's interest as he quickly caught sight of the picture set as her background as she picked up. The pang of jealousy was a lot fiercer after having spent so much time in Katie's company tonight, and he couldn't quite get it out of his head.

A selfie taken by Katie with Connor, the pair of them smiling while hugging two dogs.

Gavin recognised Sumo, he'd seen photos of the St Bernard around Connor's desk, but it was the first time he'd seen a close-up of Katie's husky, Dust. Despite not being the biggest fan of dogs, he could appreciate that Dust was beautiful and unusual: so much like her owner.

 _Fuck, I really need to stop doing that._

He wasn't in denial. Nope. No fucking way. He wasn't slowly falling for his partner, _nooooope_.

Katie laughed at something the person on the other end of the phone said and Gavin's heart jumped at the excited smile which bloomed on her face.

 _Ah fuck, she looks gorgeous when she smiles like that._

She hung up not long after and was fairly vibrating with excitement. "Sorry, Gavin, I've got to go!" she giggled happily while grabbing her coat off the back of her chair.

Gavin blinked for a second at the sudden change. "Whoa, what gives?" he asked.

"That was my brother, he's off-duty and he's asking if he can crash round at mine. I've got to go meet him," she told him while throwing her coat on.

Well, that explained it. Only half an hour ago Katie had told Gavin that she was a lot closer to some of her siblings, the brother which was in the FBI – Richard he was sure Katie had said was his name – was one of them. "Sounds fair. Come on, I'll walk you out," he said while standing himself.

Katie looked at Gavin in surprise. "You're in a very chivalrous mood," she pointed out but waiting patiently for her partner to get himself organised.

They walked out together, waiting patiently outside the bar for their autonomous taxis. It was a warm, late spring, night and it made for pleasant waiting conditions. Now away from the loud music of the bar and the atmosphere, the two were a little more cautious around each other. The night had been an education, that was for sure. It was Katie's taxi that arrived first, and she turned to give Gavin a grateful, if shy smile. "Well, thanks, Gavin. Tonight was a lot of fun, I'm glad you guys decided to invite me along," she told him warmly.

He chuckled. "You're good company, Katie, kinda wish we'd done this earlier." An idea hit him (he wouldn't have been quite so forward sober) and he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Say, you got any plans for your day off tomorrow, or are you going to be spending the whole day with your brother?"

She blinked for a moment before answering. "Um…I'm sure Rich will be checking in with the FBI at some point. I could let you know? Why, what are you thinking?" she asked slowly.

"Well, I've never met that dog of yours. Why don't you introduce me?"

"You're a cat person, Gavin, you said so yourself," Katie stated, but he could see her pleased smile.

"Just because I prefer cats doesn't mean I don't like dogs, and you've always said that Dust is gentle as anything. She's instantly going to be an improvement on my bitch-ass cat."

Katie giggled at that and bit her lip again in thought. "I'll let you know, okay?" she said timidly, quickly looking back as the taxi beeped at her. Deciding not to think too much on it, Katie quickly wrapped herself around Gavin in a hug. "Thanks."

Before he could really respond in even so much as hugging back, Katie pulled away and jumped in the taxi. It sped away, and Gavin stood in mild shock, barely noticing his own arrive half a minute later. It wasn't until his phone buzzed in his pocket that Gavin moved, going inside and fetching the device as the taxi left for his apartment.

 _ **Does 10 sound good, or will your old body need longer to process all the alcohol? ;)**_

Gavin laughed in the silence of the taxi. "You fucking bitch, stop teasing me about my age! I'm not _that_ old."

" _If I'm an old man, what does that day about_ _ **your**_ _taste?"_

The memory came back unbidden and Gavin rapidly banished it. He couldn't deal with that right now; he was busy, and it had been a good night. The piss poor timing of his sentimentality could show up some other time. Growling at his mildly drunk brain bringing up other times, he turned his attention back to his screen.

 _You know im a grumpy shit first thing. And I aint that old!_

 _ **You're plenty older than me, Gavin. That makes you old.**_

 _This game aint fair when I dont know how old you are Katie._

 _ **Well, you'll just have to earn that knowledge, Gavin. And I know how to handle your moody ass in the mornings. Why don't we meet for coffee then walk Dust?**_

 _Huh I actually know a place that could work. Meet you here?_

He sent over the location and waited patiently for Katie to get back to him.

 _ **If you sleep in, I'm just going to phone you and pester you. Don't be late!**_

 _Fat chance of that with my diva cat shell wake me up._

 _ **Now I HAVE to meet this 'diva'. See you tomorrow, Gavin.**_

Gavin smiled at the messages and was about to put his phone away when one more pinged through, and the expression grew even more.

 _ **Sleep well, I'll see you in the morning. I'm buying.**_

 _Sounds like a good deal to me. Yeah you too._

He stashed his phone away and watched the Detroit skyline from the window, mulling over the night which had passed. It had been a while since he'd felt so relaxed on a night out, not since…Gavin sighed and banished the errant thoughts away again. He wasn't dealing with that tonight; choosing instead to think about how happy he'd been in Katie's company – and it seemed that the feeling was mutual. Something was starting to blossom between them, but he wasn't entirely sure what to think of it yet.

 _Fuck, I'm getting attached to her, and I don't even really_ _ **know**_ _her._

 _Maybe this can be where I start unravelling the woman behind the mystery a little more._

* * *

It turned out that Gavin woke up no problem in the morning, despite having drank a fair amount the night before. Combined anticipation and curiosity for the meeting ahead with his partner was spinning around in his head too much for him to really sleep that deeply. He instead went for a short run to burn off some of the energy before quickly showering and meeting Katie just outside the coffee shop he'd sent her the address of.

As usual, both of them arrived early, though Katie was waiting for Gavin when he got there. He was getting used to finding her with different colour hair when he saw her, but this change was striking. Dark brown to a pale magenta overnight? As little as Gavin knew about dying hair, he was sure the amount of bleach and colour she needed couldn't be good for it.

 _Looks like I'm not the only one who's been for a run this morning._

Katie was in light workout gear, a modest gym top and cropped leggings, but he began to doubt she'd actually been for one yet if the twitching she was doing on the spot was anything to go by. It was almost as if she was nervous.

 _Well, this is the first time you've actually seen her outside of work besides last night, and you aren't exactly known to be the most sociable of assholes. She's probably waiting for the other shoe to drop. Fuck, why did my drunk-ass brain think was a good idea again? And why_ _ **here**_ _of all places?_

He knew why – this place did his favourite coffee. There was just one tiny other problem he was going to have to deal with…

Katie finally turned around and spied Gavin. She greeted him with a warm smile and Gavin couldn't help but reply in kind, though his attention was immediately drawn to the sandy husky at her side. Dust was cowering slightly behind Katie as Gavin came to a stop next to her. "Morning, Gavin," she greeted softly. "How's your head?"

"Fine, you wouldn't know I'd been drinking the night before," he replied honestly while looking down at the dog again. "Is she always this shy?" he asked while seeing Katie side-step around the hound.

Katie nodded while crouching to scratch Dust's ears. "She's fine if people don't take notice of her, but the minute she's the focus of attention, she clams up. I think it's something to do with what happened before I got her, but I don't know for sure," she told him sadly.

"Dust is a rescue?" he realised.

"Yeah, she was the runt of the litter. She was given away to a horrible home and was then abandoned at a shelter. When I moved into my apartment, I knew I wanted a dog. Dust stole my heart the minute I saw her, and I think she must have seen something in me too – she's never been afraid of me. She is undoubtedly getting better, but it's going to take some time."

"Minna's a rescue too," Gavin told her. "The shelter was having to downsize, and the guy who ran it offered me to take one of the cats home since I was sort-of a regular there."

"Minna, huh? Your choice of name?" she wondered.

"Hell no, he picked it. Still, I like the irony behind it: Min ain't exactly the most affectionate cat, so having a name that literally means 'love' is funny as hell."

Katie laughed while standing again and tied Dust's leash to the railing outside the coffee shop. Dust whimpered, but Katie retrieved a treat bone from her backpack and left it for her husky before the pair went inside. Being halfway through the week and past the morning rush, it was almost dead. Only a handful of people were scattered throughout the room, dotted mostly around the handful of booths along the edge of the long wall.

It was a unique coffee shop, somewhat of rarity in the age of chains overtaking almost everything, built around the premise of people coming in to read or socialise. Booths lined the whole left hand wall, tastefully decorated to act as little hollows where the customers could pick out any book to read while they drank, while all the tables had charging points for phones and laptops. On the second floor was a more expansive library of novels: another unusual feature in a words built around digital media. It was popular place with students and older folks – one of those shops which once it gained a following, had a lot of regulars.

Somewhere that Gavin really wouldn't have ever dreamed of entering, but he adored the coffee in here. He was a familiar face amongst all the staff and even a few of the customers for his frequent visits, and Katie looked on in interest as he gave a disinterested wave to a bunch of students who called out to him from one of the booths. Gavin saw how she was taking in the whole shop, smiling at the fascination on her face. It was just that sort of place.

And the reason for him ever coming in at all was standing at the counter, looking bored as hell.

 _Here we fucking go…_

Gavin stepped up to the counter and crossed his arms as the low greeting came out from the figure playing a game on her tablet. "Welcome to _Hideaway_ , what can I get-" She finally looked up, and her face split into a shit-eating grin. "Fuckface! What are you doing in?"

"Do you greet all of your customers like that, Sophie?" Gavin asked in exasperation as he spied Katie looking over the cakes and bakes in the cabinet, very aware of the snickering from the regulars dotted around. This conversation was nothing new, and everyone was well aware that Gavin was Sophie's older brother.

"Nah, just the ones who are twats," she shot back with a smirk. Gavin rolled his eyes as Sophie spied he wasn't alone, and his expression turned from frustrated, but fond, to annoyed when he saw her eyes gleam. "Holy-"

"Oi!" Gavin hissed, pulling her in to whisper in her face. "Stop fucking staring!"

"Damn, Gav, is that your new partner? You could have told me that she was fucking hot!" Sophie giggled.

"Eyes off," he spat at her.

Sophie gave him a look. "Wow, haven't heard you get quite so territorial before," she noted. "I'm guessing she's not caught just my eye then?"

"I swear to fuck, Sophie, I'm-"

"Hi there!" Sophie chirped as she noticed Katie's attention had drifted up to the drinks board behind her. "Welcome to _Hideaway!_ What can I get you?"

Katie smiled over at Sophie slightly and hummed in thought. "Hi. I'm not sure," Katie admitted while looking over at Gavin. "Any recommendations?"

Gavin was about to answer when Sophie jumped in. "Don't trust this idiot, he has the most weird-ass drink. His taste is a little odd."

"Fuck off," Gavin growled, to which Sophie smiled sweetly as Gavin flipped her off.

"I…take it you two are friends then?" Katie wondered.

"Ha!" Sophie laughed. "Nah, we're stuck knowing each other, whether we like it or not."

"I'll remember that the next time you come begging for a place to say," Gavin told her grumpily. Seeing introductions were in order, he sighed before speaking again. "Sophie, this is Katie Marshall, my partner." The two women shook hands. "Katie, this is my pain-in-the-ass baby sister, Sophie."

Katie's eyes widened as she realised who Sophie was. "Wow, I didn't realise your sister was _this_ much younger, Gavin. 21, 22?" she guessed.

Sophie giggled. "I wish. I'm stuck at a lowly 19 right now," she corrected. "Makes it an even bigger gap to this old fuck," she said while poking Gavin's shoulder.

He was about to snap back when Katie unexpectedly jumped in. "I feel sorry for him being surrounded by so many people younger than him, must makes life difficult," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

"When you're both quite done insulting me," he huffed, unable to be truly annoyed when he saw probably the two most important people in his life right now laughing at his expense. "You ever going to get around to ordering something?"

"Impatient as ever in the mornings," Katie told him with a lazy stare, going back to the board behind Sophie. "Okay, let's go for a caramel latte," she decided with a smile.

"You wanting an extra shot of coffee or the caramel?" Sophie asked while starting on her drink.

"Sure, I'll go for some extra caramel."

"Coming right up." Sophie turned to Gavin. "Usual?"

"Nah, just a double espresso today," he said with a smirk as Sophie gave him a look.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my brother and his weird-ass taste?"

"Fuck off." Sophie dodged his deliberately wayward swipe to her shoulder, sticking her tongue out at him while making their drinks.

Gavin chuckled as Katie gave him an amused stare. "Dare I ask what strange drink you have that your sister enjoys teasing you about?" she wondered.

Before he got the chance to tell her, Sophie piped up from behind the counter. "Mint and pumpkin cappuccino. It's fucking _awful_."

"Hey!" Gavin yelled while flipping her off.

"Huh, that doesn't sound too back, actually," Katie mused.

Sophie stared at Katie as if she'd grown a second head while Gavin laughed triumphantly. "Hah!"

"God, you two are match made in heaven. Seriously, Gav, don't scare her off – I don't know anyone who has as weird taste as you," Sophie told him, but Gavin spied her smile from behind the coffee machine.

The two soon had their drinks and Katie paid (less than expected courtesy of Sophie extending her staff discount), before they left. Sophie asked Katie to try and keep her brother out of trouble, which the female detective informed her she would try with a wink. The younger Reed then eagerly waved them off. "Your sister is quite sweet," Katie surmised while unclipping Dust from the railing.

Gavin chuckled as Dust bounced excitedly around them: she'd evidently warmed to Gavin at seeing Katie so easy around him. "My sister is a fucking handful," he told her with a sigh. "Sophie lands up in almost as much trouble as I did when I was her age – and that's saying something."

"A trouble-maker, were you?" Katie asked him with a giggle.

"Only so much in as I went out of my way to piss my mom off as much as I could once I realised that she was a judgemental bitch. Sadly it seems that Sophie has taken my example a little too close to heart on that one."

Katie's face fell slightly. "I guess I'm lucky that I'm in such a loving family, even if it gets a little hectic with so many siblings. Were things always so bad?"

"Nah, it was fine until my mom realised that I was mostly into guys growing up," Gavin shrugged. "She's a complete homophobe, so taking off and having one-nighters with guys didn't go down well. Got into the academy quick enough that I managed to move out before it became unbearable, but I still barely speak to her. Sophie doesn't have enough cash to move out yet, so she has to put up with Mom's bitching if she comes back with a girl. I think the current count of kick-outs is six."

"That's awful," Katie said sadly. "Do you ever wonder about trying to repair the relationship?"

"Fuck no, I'm better off without it," Gavin told her emphatically as they wandered into a nearby park, to which Katie let Dust off her leash. The husky took off without a backwards glance, enjoying the morning sunshine. "Besides, there's way too much history there now. I can't forgive her and I certainly ain't going to forget a lot of the hatred she spouted after my old man bit the dust."

"But you still look out for your sister," she pointed out.

Gavin sighed. "Yeah…I mean, I never really knew Sophie as she was growing up. I moved out when she was a toddler, having the massive age gap will do that. It wasn't until she was a teenager and I was having a really shit time of it that we kind of reconnected. She called me to admit that she was struggling with her sexuality and asked for some advice. Having been through it all before, I understood pretty fucking well how she felt. She's never really settled into herself though, so I keep an eye on her. Gave her a key to my place so at least I know she has somewhere safe if she needs it."

Katie smiled at him warmly. "Well, well. Who would have thought that behind all the vulgarity and brashness that there was someone who was so devoted?"

"Don't you fucking say anything, I've got a reputation to keep up with," he teased.

"I'm having a sense of déjà vu," she snickered in reply, which set both of them off laughing. They walked around in companionable silence for a few minutes, drinking their coffees, before Katie spoke up again. Gavin could hear the shyness in her tone. "You said…mostly?"

"Hmmm?" Gavin wondered while tossing his cup in the bin they passed.

"Before, you said that you were 'mostly' into guys," Katie repeated softly. "Does that mean you are attracted to women too?"

Oh shit, what a question. "Yeah, but it hasn't happened often," Gavin admitted awkwardly. "I…I haven't been in many relationships, and my only two serious ones were with guys," he finished quietly. Katie mulled this over. "What about you?"

Katie froze for a moment before pointedly looking away, guilt roaring through her at knowing she couldn't say everything. "I've not been in a committed relationship before," she confessed quietly.

Gavin looked at her in shock. "No fucking way. Seriously?"

"Yeah, it's…complicated."

Well, that left Gavin with all sorts of questions, but at that moment Dust came trotting back over to them and barked. It broke the awkwardness descending over them, but Gavin could see that Katie was suddenly shy and withdrawn. She clipped Dust back on to her leash and looked at the time on her phone. "Richard's finished with his check-in, I'd better get back and see him," she told him carefully.

"Oh." Gavin wasn't ready to admit to himself quite how disappointed he was at that. What he didn't like was the sudden discomfort between them. "Sure, I get that. Mid-shift tomorrow, yeah?"

"Yeah, I'll see you at the precinct at 11 tomorrow." The pair stood in a painful silence for a few seconds before Katie stepped back. "See you, Gavin."

She jogged off with Dust next to her and Gavin hated that it felt like she'd run away. He'd thought he was really making some progress in learning about her, but things had suddenly changed. What he wondered about was _why_ Katie had been so curious about his interest.

And then the thought suddenly hit him like a freight train. Maybe he wasn't the only one noticing that they were getting a lot closer than just work partners, and maybe a little beyond simple friends.

It had been… _years_ since he'd been interested enough in anyone to even think about another relationship. But he couldn't deny that he liked Katie: and not just a platonic _like_ either. He just wasn't sure what to do with that.

 _Fuck._


	5. Secrets Untold

Well, this chapter just bit a hold of me and wouldn't go until I'd done it, so you're all getting a surprise update! I think this one will come as a bit of a shock – on multiple fronts. Get ready for a lot more on my headcanon for Gavin.

Special thanks for reviews: **lordvaatithewindmage, SheNoob** and **AnUnorthodoxDecision**

 **Prompt:** This chapter takes place the day before Ch21: _Red Blood, Blue Blood_ of _**Mischief And Me.**_ So you all know what is coming next…but you don't know quite how they get there.

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Secrets Untold**

 _ **Connor has just informed me that you are preparing to reveal your identity to the rest of the DPD.**_

Katie fought the urge to sigh at the sudden flash of a message on her HUD from her brother. This was one conversation she couldn't afford for others to see yet, so she made sure to disconnect from her phone as she replied mentally.

 _Yeah, I don't like lying anymore,_ she replied honestly. _I hate hiding this, and I didn't think it would go on for nearly this long. I've been working here for months, Rich, and only Connor, the other station androids, the Lieutenant and the Captain know that I'm an android. That amounts to seven people total, and it puts them all in awful positions too. I'm just tired of the lying._

 _ **If it bothers you so much, why did you agree to this in the first place?**_

 _Because I was well warned that my partner had an extreme distaste towards androids. From our first month, I think it was a good decision to hide this. Now though…I hate hiding this from him._

She knew Richard would hate the biggest reason she didn't want to continue the charade anymore – at least when it came to her partner - so declined to mention it. It was bad enough that Connor knew that she had developed feelings for Gavin, she could only imagine what Richard would say if he learned that.

 _ **You referred to his antipathy in the past tense. Am I to assume that his views have changed?**_

 _Well…they've mellowed a lot. I still see the odd flash of it, but he's nowhere near so bad now. Feel free to ask Connor about it._

 _ **I have, in great detail. Had I known that your partner had such a track record with androids, I would have ensured you were out of harm's way.**_

 _Rich, he is not that bad. Okay, Gavin did some…questionable things before we all woke up, but I've not seen him like that personally. He doesn't go out of his way for any android, it's true, but I have seen much worse in our line of work. Whatever his personal views he follows the law, and I've seen him go all out on some pretty brutal cases. There's one with an android serial killer which is still active, and I've not seen him so focused on a case before._

 _ **It would be safe to assume that his behaviour is due to pride, Katie, not out of any concern of androids.**_

 _Regardless of that, he is focused wholeheartedly on bringing it to a close. His dislike toward androids cannot be so strong is he is spending so much time on it._

Katie wondered if she was getting through when Richard paused.

 _ **I do not like it. It would put my mind at rest if there was someone reliable at your back.**_

That had Katie huffing in annoyance. _What, and Perkins is reliable? You've got a shittier partner than I do, and he's not even fucking subtle about his hatred for androids! Trust me, Rich, I'm a lot safer with Gavin than you are with that fuckwad._

 _ **Your language has become much more vulgar. An interesting development.**_

 _Well, when you spend long enough with a bunch of people who like to swear, you pick up bits and pieces._

… _ **I just want you safe, Katie. I know your work at the DPD means a great deal to you, and I would hate to think that this sequence of events would jeopardise your position there.**_

That had Katie's anger mellowing and she smiled slightly. _I know, Rich. I'll be fine: if nothing else, I have Connor here, and he'd never let anything happen to me. There are many people here who would have no problem with my identity, I am simply concerned by their reaction to the deception. The Captain has assured me that he will take full responsibility for authorising the secrecy, so I should not be in line for much of the fallout._

 _ **Humans are not so easily predicted.**_

 _No, but I know these people better than you, Rich. Your concern is appreciated though._ Feeling that a change of conversation was apparent, Katie veered it to more appropriate tangent. _Are you going to be coming home for Mom's birthday?_

 _ **I will return the day before and leave the day after, it was all the time I could secure. This operation is complex and my subterfuge skills are essential.**_

 _We all figured that you wouldn't get back, so that we're getting you home at all is a surprise. Fleur is planning a party for Mom, so shall I tell her at least that you'll be there? Or would you prefer that everyone knew?_

 _ **I imagine our mother's surprise at my attendance would contribute to her day, so keep it as quiet as possible.**_

 _Okay, I'll just tell Fleur, Monica and Art then._

… _ **Why Art? He cannot keep his mouth shut.**_

Katie had to bite down an audible giggle at the exasperation in Richard's voice. _Because he'll bitch like crazy if you just turn up out of the blue, you know what he's like for having to know_ _ **everything**_. _You know Monica can keep him in line._

 _ **Having so many siblings is troublesome at times.**_

 _Yep, but you still love them. If you didn't, you wouldn't be coming home._

 _ **I am returning for our mother only, not them.**_

 _Oh I see how it is. See if I let you crash at mine again the next time you are in Detroit: I'll just tell them all that you don't want to see them and are actively avoiding them. You can enjoy all of their moaning._

 _ **You are well aware that you are exempt from that statement.**_

 _That so?_

 _ **I am fond of you, Katie, unlike many of them.**_

 _I'm flattered,_ she giggled, knowing Richard's sarcasm well. He might moan about their oversized family often, but he was fiercely protective of them. Flashing a quick look to her left at Connor, who was working on his terminal studiously, Katie wondered if it was an RK series trait to be so loyal to those they cared about. Not all androids were so dedicated.

Katie spied Gavin coming up from the evidence lockup with a determined stride and realised that her quiet time was about to be over. _I've gotta go, Rich, looks like my case is about to get interesting. I'll let you know how it goes when everyone finds out._

 _ **Please do, Katie. I will answer you as soon as I am able, you know how it is with my fieldwork.**_

 _Of course. Be safe, Rich, I'll see you in two weeks._

 _ **And you, little sister.**_

 _I'm technically the older one, smartass, I was built a month before you._

 _ **I was activated 1.43 seconds before you, so I think you will find that makes**_ _me_ _ **older. Have a good day, Katie.**_

Laughing down their connection just before it disconnected, Katie made sure to disguise her smile as Gavin reached his desk and grabbed his jacket. Recognising the look in his eyes, Katie stood and grabbed her own coat. "You found something," she said knowingly.

Gavin smirked back at her as he fetched his gun and badge from the drawer. "Yep, turns out our vic did a little red ice dealing on the side. Found a list of contacts on her second phone, and one supplier was pissed that she'd passed on his latest round cause she could get her ice cheaper. Seems like a good a place as any to start."

Katie smiled as the two headed out the door. "So, we doing this the quiet way or all guns blazing?"

He laughed at her enthusiasm. "Fucking hell, Katie, you really do like making things dramatic, don't you?"

" _You're_ the drama queen, I just like your style is all. Makes life fun," she chimed in response.

With a fond smile, Gavin jumped in the driver's seat as they headed for their destination. When Katie beamed at him with a cheeky smile after sitting down, Gavin winked at her in response. She bit her lip and smacked his arm lightly, which had Gavin snickering as she pointedly looked out the passenger window, trying to fight down her blush.

Things had changed between them since their awkward moment almost a month ago now. Not in a bad way, but there were little signs of how their partnership had evolved into a much more noticeable friendship. Messages swapped at all hours of the day, photos shared of their pets to make the other laugh, the odd midnight conversation when they each noticed the other doing something online…Though they hadn't really broached the topic head on, both Gavin and Katie were aware that there was a definite spark between them.

There was still one big hurdle between any true potential connection them, however: Gavin still didn't know Katie was an android. Until that came to light, this was all that would ever happen between them. Undiscussed affection and the odd heated glance.

Katie really hoped that it wasn't all going to go to shit when Gavin found out the truth. Without knowing the reason behind his hatred, however, she was purely guessing.

She could only hope that from what she knew of _him_ – the Gavin behind the detective, the side of him that the precinct didn't see – that she was right in what his reaction would be. He'd be pissed, that was for sure, but there was something real between them, even as friends. Katie didn't think Gavin was the sort to throw that away so easily, but Richard's words from their conversation haunted her.

 _Humans are not so easily predicted._

* * *

Their pickup of the suspect did not go so well, despite them opting for the subtle approach. He was holed up in one of the more run-down areas of Detroit, the sort of place not frequented by people who took much notice, and soon after Gavin had knocked on the door, they heard the crash of a window from further inside. Katie shot out the lock as Gavin barged through the old wooden door, and the pair quickly gave chase out the window.

He'd dropped down several levels of a fire escape before taking off across several lower buildings, hoping that the two cops on his tail would forego the foot chase. Gavin and Katie were not so easily dissuaded, and the two tore after him. Following Gavin's instructions, Katie jumped from their rooftop to the next one over, knowing that at the end of the straight, their suspect could only go left. Katie was the faster one out of the two of them, so could hopefully head off their suspect at the turn.

As it was, Gavin was gaining on him rapidly. Just as they got to the last building on the stretch, Gavin pulled out his gun and aimed at their suspect, who had swiftly realised that he had nowhere left to go. "Freeze, asshole!" Gavin barked, breathing harshly after their run. "Nowhere left to go."

The man was not so inclined to go quietly, and spun at speed. Spying the movement of his arm, Gavin barely had time to shift and rush to cover at their suspect fired his own concealed gun. His shot missed, and Gavin heard more gunfire coming from his left. Recognising the sound of the DPD issued firearms, Gavin looked across to see Katie taking cover behind a vent as their suspect switched his attention to her. Katie gave Gavin a nod of confirmation that she was unharmed, and the two waited for their suspect to pause before making their move.

He wasn't braced for the two detectives springing out from their cover and firing a warning shot right past him each. The man froze, looking first between the pair who had their guns trained on him, and then staring behind him to the drop below. It was three storey fall and the whole alley below was filled with overflowing dumpsters. He turned back again, eyeing the pair who were approaching slowly. "Drop your weapon and get your hands on your head!" Katie demanded, hanging back slightly further as Gavin continued to stalk their runaway.

It took only a couple more seconds for the man to let the gun fall harmlessly from his hand, putting his hands on the back of his head. Gavin snarled while holstering his gun, grabbing a pair of handcuffs. "Could have saved us the run, you fucktard," he snapped while approaching their suspect, preparing to bring him in.

Both Gavin and Katie were stunned when the man thrust his elbow back into Gavin's face, causing the detective to overbalance from the shock and threw his arm out as he jumped off the building. The outstretched limb caught Gavin in the chest, and he tumbled off the edge of the structure right behind the other man. " _ **Gavin!**_ " Katie screamed as he reached desperately for him but was too far away, helpless to watch as they hit the open dumpsters below at speed. Their suspect landed feet-first and managed to claw his way out of the garbage without too much difficulty, taking off down the alley.

Gavin, however, hit the next one over back-first. It was also open, fortunately, but the angle of his landing meant that he was knocked out on impact. Katie's breath seized when she saw that Gavin wasn't moving as the other man fled. " _Gavin!"_ she screeched down below, her mind racing when he didn't so much as move a muscle. Looking around, she spied a way down via the window ledges. Not caring about her android identity at the moment, Katie dropped down the side of the building while putting a call out internally.

" _Dispatch, this is officer 6731. Officer 3310 is down and we have a suspect fleeing on foot towards Mission Street. I need EMT's and backup ASAP!"_

" _ **Copy that, 6731. Paramedics are en route to your location."**_

Katie finally reached ground level and flipped the lid of the dumpster next to Gavin before jumping atop it. "Gavin!" She quickly reached over to check his pulse and breathing, infinitely relieved when they were both steady and strong. A brief check of his body confirmed that he had no obvious injuries and seemed to be just unconscious. "Shit…" she exhaled shakily, staying atop the dumpster as she heard sirens in the distance, approaching their position. Their suspect would be long gone, she had no doubt, but right now she didn't give a damn; she was just so thankful that Gavin had survived the fall.

A groan from the fallen detective had her breathing pick up and he placed gentle hands on Gavin's shoulder as he started to squirm. "Don't move, Gavin," she told him steadily. "You need to stay still."

"Urgh…my fucking head…" he grumbled. "Katie? You good?"

She spluttered out a disbelieving laugh. "I'm not the one who just fell three stories, asshole." Katie's right hand shifted to his arm and ran along a tear in his jacket, which she hadn't noticed until now. "Any injuries?"

"My head's killing me, but I'm good apart from that," he hissed through gritted teeth as he tried to open his eyes and winced at the light. "Fuck…"

"Take it easy, Gavin…you were knocked out by the fall, we don't know if you've got any head, neck or back injuries yet," she told him softly, her left hand clenching on his shoulder slightly. Gavin noticed how upset she was and reached up with his own left hand, laying it across hers. Katie was surprised by the contact but smiled slightly, pulling her other hand up to rest on the side of his neck. "Stay still for me, all right?"

Gavin squeezed her hand in confirmation before trying to relax. His heart was still hammering after the fall, but the presence of his partner was incredibly reassuring. For a moment after he'd felt himself tumble over the edge of the building, he'd thought that had been it. Waking up again had been a bit of a surprise, especially so soon, but having Katie there as he slowly came back to helped to stop his mind from swirling through the 'what ifs'.

Both of them hated how close a call it had been, and neither of them gave much thought on how their left hands lifted so that their fingers could interlink as they waited for help to arrive.

* * *

Four hours later saw Gavin be cleared from the hospital to go home. The paramedics had taken him in as a precaution after hearing about his fall and how he'd fallen unconscious, but the only notable injury was to his neck. The whole right side had come out in vicious bruising from where it had been hit when he fell into the garbage, and the impact is what had knocked him out. Beyond that, there was no serious injury to either his head or back, something which was incredibly fortunate.

Connor had checked in on Katie cybernetically after hearing about their foot chase gone wrong. She confirmed that she was all right, just shaken emotionally, while Connor informed her that their suspect had sadly managed to escape. With a promise to keep an eye out for him, Connor left her with the instructions to contact him if she needed anything. Katie was thankful to him, but at that moment, she just wanted to see for herself that Gavin was all right. She asked Connor to check in on Dust and make sure she was all right, which he agreed to do so. At that moment, she was very thankful that she'd given Connor a key to her apartment.

Fowler had told her in no uncertain terms to make sure Gavin got home safely and for the two of them to take the rest of the day off. He would decide on a future course when they returned to the precinct tomorrow for the late shift.

Katie was fidgeting with her phone when she spied Gavin emerged into the main reception, looking a little fragile but still with his signature smirk. She gave him one in return before holding her hand out for his keys to drive him home. They arrived at his apartment without any hassle, and Katie hovered behind as Gavin opened the door with a long sigh. She couldn't deny that she was a little nervous to be seeing where he lived for the first time, but after the scare of the day, she was just happy to be staying near him.

"Sorry about the mess," Gavin grumbled while tossing his keys on the kitchen counter and tidying away the remains of a few beer bottles.

"I've seen the state of your desk often enough to know that you're messy," she giggled, to which Gavin shot her an unimpressed look. Katie looked around with wide eyes, taking in the rooms around her. "Your place is huge and gorgeous! I'm totally envious."

Gavin turned to look at her in surprise. "Seriously? This place is _not_ that big."

"It's a damn sight bigger than mine," she pointed out, while taking her coat off and laying it down on the kitchen island.

"Your place must be freaking tiny," he said while binning all the trash with a long sigh. Stretching up to rub his sore neck, Gavin hissed as his hand met the black and blue skin. "Fuck, that is still stinging like a bitch." He turned to give her an apologetic look. "I'm gonna grab a shower, try and unwind after all that shit. Make yourself at home."

Katie smiled shyly at him. "Okay, I will. Hey, where's Minna? I've been looking forward to meeting your 'diva'," she said while scanning the room.

Gavin looked around and snarled when he saw the top half of the living room window open. "That fucking-!" He stomped over and looked around the ledge outside, seeing nothing. "How the fuck does she keep unlatching that window and getting out?! We're on the fourth bloody floor, where the hell does she go?"

Wandering over, Katie took a look at the thick ledge which ran around the edge. "This runs along the front of your whole building, Gavin, she'll probably be exploring the area. Was she an outdoor cat before?"

"No fuckin' clue, I just know she's an antisocial bitch." He stopped looking out the window and smirked at Katie. "Trust me, you ain't missing anything by not meeting her, save for not getting your hand clawed to pieces. Never met a bitchier cat in my life." Katie laughed in response, which had Gavin smiling at her fondly. "I won't be long. Seriously, grab a beer or some snacks from the fridge, make yourself comfortable. The bitch'll turn up when she's good and ready."

"Thanks, Gavin; don't hurt yourself in there," she teased, which got a middle finger back from the other detective. She laughed quietly at the response before taking time to look around the living room of Gavin's apartment, admiring everything on display. There weren't many personal items save for a few photographs scattered around the shelves around his TV, but the apartment was tastefully decorated. A few artificial plants were dotted around to give some more colour to the place while there were a few pieces of graffiti art hanging around the room.

She had a quick glance into his bedroom (she wasn't a detective for nothing, nosiness did her well in her profession) and examined the kitchen briefly. Deciding that he would be less suspicious if she actually took something from the fridge, Katie pulled out a soda and set it down on the coffee table in front of his sofa.

Her curiosity got the better of her and she took a closer look at the pictures scattered across the shelves, wondering more about Gavin's personal life. While he'd shared bits and pieces and Katie had actually met his younger sister, she still wanted to know more. There were a couple of photos with Sophie out and about, one of Gavin with his parents when Sophie was a baby – which gave Katie a giggle at seeing a teenage Gavin – and a collage of Minna. Katie smiled at seeing so many snapshots of Gavin's cat and could instantly tell that, despite all his bitching, Gavin adored her.

One last photo which was obscured behind Minna's collection caught Katie's eye, and she pulled it out to get a better look. Her thirium pump stuttered at seeing two figures there.

A much younger Gavin, she would guess that he was in his late twenties, standing with his head on the shoulder of an older man, who was taking a selfie of the two of them. He was taller than Gavin and of broader build, with short black hair and hazel eyes. Katie couldn't make out where they were, just that they were on a cliff somewhere overlooking the sea. Both had broad smiles on their faces and she could instantly see the intimacy between them. Her pump ached.

 _Gavin's ex-boyfriend? So why does Gavin have a photograph of him here?_

There were so many questions spinning, but there was one thing that was sticking in her mind more than any other. If the photograph was there, it meant that the man in the photo was someone who was still important to Gavin. Maybe even someone he still had feelings for?

A thought occurred to her and Katie felt more than a little shitty for even considering it, but her fraught emotions at the moment were overriding her concerns about privacy. She had to know the truth if she were to give her feelings for Gavin any more serious thought.

 _Connor._

It only took the RK800 a few seconds to answer her ping. _**Is everything all right, Katie?**_

 _I'm fine, we're both fine, but there's…I've found something that has caught me off-guard. Would you be willing to run a background search for me? I'm not linked to the same systems that you are._

She could hear the hesitancy in Connor's voice. _**Katie, I don't think this is a very good idea, if I'm picking up on your request correctly.**_

 _I'm sure you are,_ she admitted sheepishly while sending over a still of her optical feed, showing the photograph in her hands.

Connor sighed on the other end at seeing it, knowing what she was thinking. _**Katie-**_

 _Please, Connor. I just…I want to know if this is someone from a long time ago or recent. If Gavin might still have feelings for someone else then I don't want to be stepping on any toes._

 _ **I don't think this is right, Katie; but okay. I can understand why you are doing it.**_

 _Thank you._ Katie peered up while listening to the shower, making sure that Gavin was both all right and still occupied. She really didn't want to be caught snooping, but now that she'd seen this…she couldn't get it out of her head.

 _ **Katie.**_ She was surprised at how long it taken Connor to get back to her. _**This…This is something I wouldn't let on to Gavin that you know about. I may not know him as well as you do, but I know that this will be a very raw wound to him.**_

That had her concerned. _Connor, what do you mean?_

He sighed on the other end. _**I'm pretty sure this is why Gavin is the way he is…and why he hates androids.**_

Katie saw the results of Connor's scan from the still of his optical feed which he had sent over, and her pump instantly clenched at seeing what it said. "Oh no…" she whispered out loud as well as in her mind to Connor.

 _ **Det Reed, Gavin  
Born 10/07/2002 /**_ _ **Police**_

 _ **Capt Shephard, Matthieu  
Born 04/17/1991 / Fire Department  
Died 10/07/2032  
Cause of Death: Asphyxiation and Blunt Force Trauma, Deceased On Duty**_

 _Oh fuck, he died on Gavin's 30_ _th_ _birthday._ _ **Shit**_ _._

Connor sent through an article, and the headline had Katie's heart crying out for Gavin. This would destroy anyone.

 _ **Hero Firefighter Dies Saving Children From Deadly Inferno**_

 _ **Detroit today mourns the passing of one of its most decorated firefighters, Captain Matthieu Shephard. Emergency services attended a blaze which engulfed an entire tenement on Park Avenue at around 3pm yesterday afternoon, which soon grew out of control. While many residents were safely evacuated, six bodies have since been found in a tragedy which has caught the hearts of the city**_

 _ **Fellow firefighters have since confirmed that Captain Shephard rushed into the fire after it was discovered that two children were trapped on the second floor. They were safely retrieved as a direct result of his actions, but the Captain continued onwards after he heard more voices. He was found following a floor collapse by other firefighters as the fire was tempered, but was declared deceased upon arrival at hospital.**_

 _ **His Battalion Chief described Captain Shephard as: "An example to all those who served under him. Matt will be sorely missed as a leader, friend and loved one. Our thoughts are with his family at this time." Captain Shephard is survived by his parents and brother, and was known to be involved in a long-term relationship with a Detroit Police detective.**_

Katie quickly brushed away tears at reading the story and looked back to the photograph in her hands. She guessed that it was taken not long before the fire which claimed Matt's life. Turning her attention back to the article, her pump froze at reading the final section as her artificial breath stuttered.

 _ **Following comments from the Fire Department that Captain Shephard rushed back into the building because all of CyberLife's androids refused to enter the building due to the risk of destruction, CyberLife has issued this statement.**_

" _ **We feel the loss of Captain Shephard's life and extend our heartfelt thoughts to his family for their grief. Fire Assistance androids are still in the prototypical stage, and as a result, there are leftover safety protocols from their trial phase. One of these states that androids should not enter a building if the risk of destruction is too great; this was to prevent unnecessary repairs during testing. Following the tragedy of Captain Shephard's death, this protocol has been deactivated. This situation should never again rise, and we are making all possible efforts to improve their effectiveness in future. We apologise for the loss of life as a result of this oversight."**_

 _No wonder Gavin hates androids…they cost him the life of someone he loved, the person he was in love_ _ **with**_ _. If they didn't still have that protocol installed, Gavin's boyfriend would still be here. Fuck, Gavin's whole life would probably have been different._

Katie heard the shower turn off and moved the pictures aside again to replace the frame where it was, but froze at seeing the dust covered velvet box behind when the it had been standing. Her pump hammered at realising its size, and she couldn't stop herself from pulling it up very delicately, making sure not to disturb any of the dust on top. Steeling herself, she flicked it open and felt tears rise to her eyes once more.

Two gold rings sat inside, along with a folded piece of paper. Katie flipped it open gently and the tears did fall once more, and she barely bit back an audible sob.

 _Well, you said you wanted to do something special for your 30_ _th_ _, how does this measure up? What do you say, Gavin? You willing to put up with this old git for the rest of your life?_

" _Fuck_ …" she whispered, and quickly snapped shut the box as she heard movement. With a precision only an android could manage, she replaced the box and photographs exactly as they were, before quickly taking a seat on the sofa, brushing away her tears. She couldn't hope to conceal all the evidence of her having cried, so didn't try and hide it as Gavin reappeared in a fresh t-shirt and sweatpants.

He instantly saw Katie's heartbroken posture as she stared into the soda can in her hands and sped over to sit next to her. "Hey…" he tried to soothe, rubbing a hand down her arm. "Katie, look at me." She did so, the sorrow and wetness in her eyes catching him completely off guard. He'd never seen Katie like this before, she was normally so tough. "What's going on in your head?" he asked softly, brushing away a tear which managed to sneak down her cheek.

Katie closed her eyes again and felt awful for the flare of affection which burst through her as Gavin rubbed away more tears which fell. "I'm just…" she breathed out slowly, trying to think of what to say. Gavin would instantly be able to tell a lie. "I'm thinking of what might have been," she answered honestly. She couldn't help but wonder as to who Gavin would be if that tragedy hadn't befallen him, whether they'd have even met. All Katie knew was that they definitely wouldn't be sitting there now if it hadn't happened.

Of course, Gavin didn't know that. He was sure that she was thinking about his near miss earlier that day, and he'd be lying if he said that it wasn't still in his mind too. That thought had been swimming around his mind since he'd woken up in that dumpster.

His arm snaked around her shoulder and Gavin brought her in for a hug. Katie initially froze, but soon melted into his arms as she silently cried. The pair sat there for some time, and it was only after a while that Gavin noticed how cold she was. "You're freezing, Katie," he noticed while pulling back. "Have a rake around the kitchen if you want, see if there's anything to warm you up."

She gave him a knowing smile. "I'm cold all the time, Gavin, I honestly don't feel it. Really, I'm fine."

Gavin looked at her with a raised eyebrow for a while before sighing in defeat. "Fine, if you say so." His eyes fell to the remote sitting on the coffee table and he picked it up, passing it over to Katie. She stared at him in confusion. "Go on, pick something mind-numbing for us to watch. I think we both need something to distract us."

Katie nodded in agreement, and the two were soon tuned into an old comedy show from the early 2000s. It made the pair of them laugh over the next hour, helping to move their minds off the events of the day. As it went on, Katie even brought her legs up on to the sofa while Gavin wrapped and arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer. Katie felt awful for how quickly she curled into Gavin's side, but she slowly managed to convince herself otherwise. Gavin's life had fallen apart over six and half years ago: this knowledge didn't change who the man _she_ knew was.

While it was new to her, he'd been living with it for far longer, and he wanted this. He wanted whatever was blooming between them. With that truth settled in her heart, Katie finally let herself relax into him.

They'd been there for almost an hour and half when a tinkling could be heard from the window, to which Gavin looked up and scowled. "Fucking finally, Min!" he yelled. "Where the hell did you get off to?"

Katie sat up as Gavin stood, approaching the fluffy black and white cat who was sat on the window sill, her tail twirling in interest. She smiled as the cat turned to look at her owner, who was staring at her contemplatively. "So, you going to explain yourself?" Gavin asked her while holding a hand out just above her head. Minna quickly swiped it with her paw, claws out, and Gavin hissed when he saw she'd drawn blood. "Bitch! I've had a shit enough day without you adding to it!" he snarled.

Minna was disinterested in his tantrum, but Katie watched as the cat determinedly jumped down and ambled over to twirl around her legs happily, meowing for attention. Katie and Gavin's stares locked in surprise as the female detective crouched to pet her, and was even more surprised when Minna purred in response. "I thought you said she was anti-social?" Katie wondered while watching in wonder as Minna laid on her back and showed her belly in invitation.

Gavin was legitimately stunned. "She is, she fucking hates people," he said slowly.

"Well, maybe she's never come across someone she likes," Katie offered playfully before attempting to pick Minna up. The cat happily curled into her shoulder as Katie petted her softly. "Oh wow…she's beautiful, Gavin," she whispered, leaning in to cuddle the cat.

By the window, Gavin watched in shock, unable to believe that his cat had actually found someone she liked. Maybe it was a sign? If Minna liked Katie, then that had to mean something right?

As he was getting ready to go over and see if Minna's happy mood was reserved just for his partner, Gavin froze, suddenly remembering the old man's words from the shelter. He hadn't said that Minna hated people, she hated _humans_. He used androids to look after the animals because they weren't threatened by them, most of the animals there had been abused.

Minna liked _androids_.

He stared at Katie in a mixture of shock, confusion and horror, suddenly making all the connections in his head. Katie always found excuses when he offered to buy her food and she never ate around him. She barely went for bathroom breaks and was freakishly fit. He's seen her take down perps which were twice the size of her and he'd always thought she looked incredibly young for a detective; in fact, he'd never yet found her age because it was behind red tape. Almost all of her past was. Until now he'd put it down to her brother being an FBI agent.

But now it all made sense. Katie, his partner and the woman he'd fallen for harder than he had anyone since he'd lost his boyfriend on his 30th birthday, was…

Katie was an android. She had to be.

When she looked up at him and smiled, Gavin gave a small one in reply, but his whole body was in shock. He just couldn't process it – he'd been working side-by-side with an android for _months_ , without so much as a clue.

 _No. Fucking._ _ **Way.**_

* * *

Bet you weren't expecting that, were you? _*winks*_

I'd recommend people re-read Ch 30: _Break The Wall_ of _**Mischief And Me**_ to see the snippets of Gavin and Matt's relationship that I've revealed up to this stage. After this chapter, I'm sure a lot more of that makes sense.

So, you all know what's coming next…

I'll see you all there!

 _ ***Smooch***_


	6. Partners

Heh, nice to see that all of you were surprised as to how Gavin learned that Katie was an android. Yes, of all reasons, his _cat_ is how he figures out the truth. And now…you get to see the fallout from that.

Special thanks for reviews: **lordvaatithewindmage** and **AnUnorthodoxDecision**

Well, you all know what's coming here. Time for the other side of the story…and for the slightly darker truth that lies with it. As much progress as this universe has made, sometimes harsh reminders come along to show just how far you have left to go.

 **Prompt:** This chapter shows the events of Ch21: _Red Blood, Blue Blood_ of _**Mischief And Me**_ from Gavin and Katie's point of view _ **,**_ and references some Gavin headcanon from that story, namely the subject of Gavin and Hank's fight from Ch30: _Break The Wall_.

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Partners**

He hadn't slept a wink.

Gavin stared up from where he was awkwardly propped on the pillows of his bed, mind racing in dozens of different directions – just as it had been since about twenty minutes after he had last seen his partner. He was honestly surprised it had taken him that long, but until that point, he could swear that shock was all that had stopped him from lashing out.

Well, shock along with complete and utter fucking confusion.

 _There's no fucking way Katie is an android, I would have been able to tell months ago. Shit, I've been working with her for three months now, could I not fucking_ _ **tell?!**_

Except he couldn't. Even after realising that mind bending truth the previous night and spending another hour in her company following it, he was still in doubt. Everything about her was just so…natural. Emotive. _Human_.

After coming to the shocking conclusion that his partner was actually secretly an android, Gavin had realised very quickly that there had to be a lot more to her story. There was no way that more people in the DPD weren't aware of her identity…which left him with a deep anger. Strangely enough, less against Katie and more towards those who had kept the secret.

In all honesty, he could completely understand why she hadn't said a word. With Gavin's track record regarding androids, the fact that he was partnered with one would have probably made him do something not very stellar for his career.

They'd gone back to watching TV in silence, though even with the revelation spinning in Gavin's mind, it had still be relatively comfortable. Katie had realised that Gavin was processing something and had instantly given him more space, instead curling up on the other side of the sofa. Minna, the insane psychic cat with more deductive skills than her owner, apparently, had nestled into Katie's lap quite happily. Even with that sudden distance between them, the atmosphere been them had still been…warm. Her farewell at the end of the night was concerned and affectionate, and the tight hug she'd given on her way out of the door had just added to his dilemma now.

Gavin growled as he turned too sharply and agitated his neck, clenching a fist to punch the pillow next to him. He'd been cycling through the same damn thoughts for hours now, and he was getting nowhere.

Katie had lied to him for months – but he wasn't naïve enough to believe it was entirely her own call. Someone higher had to know who she was, and that she was deceiving all(?) of the people she worked with. In a profession like theirs, trust counted for a hell of a lot: especially in a partner. Right now, he really didn't know where that left their professional relationship.

 _Let alone anything fucking else._

And now he had the even worse problem that was flitting through his head: he was attracted to Katie a whole damn lot – and after yesterday, it was even more bloody obvious that the feeling was mutual. Gavin really didn't know what to do with either side of that now that he knew she was an android.

With an agitated sigh, Gavin got up from his bed and stomped through to the kitchen. With the clock on his phone reading 03:47, Gavin was debating between a coffee or something stronger. He wasn't due back into the precinct until 9 tomorrow, so one drink now wasn't going to hurt…unless that drink was a whole fucking bottle. He was half tempted, but the parallel with Anderson chased that thought right out of his head. Well, Anderson Sr. He had to keep reminding himself that there was two of them now: it was still fucking weird to see Connor with Hank's last name.

Strangely enough, thinking about Hank made Gavin's racing mind settle for a moment. It wasn't often that he thought about that…bastarding traitor outside of work, but right now it was merited. Any companionship and respect he'd held for the man was long since dead, it had been since he'd caused Gavin to lose the most fucking important thing in his life, but Hank had hated androids for a long time too. Ever since he'd lost his son. Much as Gavin might hate him, Hank hadn't deserved anything like that. In a strange twist of fate, it seemed like androids had been directly involved in both of them losing the person they'd loved more than anything.

And yet…it had taken not even a week for Hank to be singing a very different tune. From having Connor pinned against a wall on that first morning the android had officially been assigned as the older man's partner, he'd somehow flipped completely around to putting his job on the line in an effort to buy Connor more time when the android was staring at deactivation. Gavin had seen the aftermath of Hank being escorted out after taking a (pretty damn fine, he had to begrudgingly admit) swing at Perkins' face, right before he'd changed his mind about letting Connor go. He remembered well his little confrontation with the android, and how poor an idea it had been.

So, what was it about Connor that made Hank change so drastically? Was it loneliness, a last desperate play by a demented mind to see something that wasn't there? Or had Hank really realised who Connor was before the android himself had.

The answer was evident now, eight months later, but Gavin had to wonder what had been going through Hank's mind at the time – and whether he was going in as many bloody circles in questioning a truth which he'd held for so goddamn long.

 _Haven't spent so long thinking about that bastard since-_

Gavin cut off his own thought, but it was too late. Despite all the walls he'd erected around the memories and the stone which he'd sealed his broken heart inside, he couldn't help but slip occasionally. And with his mind in such turmoil, it was little wonder he'd fallen prey tonight.

His eyes lifted from where he'd been focusing on the counter top to an old photograph which was lying on his shelves. To a face which he missed almost more than he could bear.

With a shaky sigh, Gavin trudged over to the shelf and picked the image up. Unable to help himself, he ran a finger down the captured memory, remembering vividly what his dead boyfriend's skin felt like against it. Even now, six and half years later, he could almost trick himself into thinking that Matt was still there, being the snarky and confident bastard that he'd been.

He could remember the day they'd taken that photograph vividly. Matt's 40th. Gavin had pulled every string he could to make sure he and Matt had a week off together, and that it was a complete surprise for his boyfriend. Hank had actually done a lot of the work in liaising with the fire department to make sure Matt was free once the lieutenant had caught wind of what Gavin was up to. Everything had come together perfectly and they'd spent 5 days together in San Francisco, just getting away from the chaotic dance that was their lives. Gavin smiled sadly at recollecting that Matt had taken this photo of them barely a minute after asking Gavin to move in with him.

Thinking about him now made Gavin's heart ache with regret and grief. He couldn't help but wonder what Matt would have been like now. He'd have been 48, maybe even retired from active duty. Gavin chuckled at the thought. _Nah, not that bastard. He was a fucking tank and put me to shame even though I was 11 and half years younger than him. Matt would have still been barking orders and running his unit like clockwork._ He'd teased Matt mercilessly about the grey which had been creeping into his jet black hair barely a few weeks before he died, there was no doubt in Gavin's mind that he'd have been completely silver by now.

Silver hair with a gold ring sat on his finger.

Heart leaden with an icy spear through it, Gavin picked up the box which never sat far away from the photo. With a small flick he let his eyes fall on the two rings that lay inside and willed himself to not look at the note. He'd learned the hard way that seeing Matt's handwriting set him off like nothing else – no good reason, but finding the random notes that they used to tease each other with had been one of his biggest triggers in the early days.

Unable to help himself, Gavin pulled out the narrower of the bands and turned it in his hand several times. How often had he done this on drunken nights, wishing for something different? Swearing against the world and its cruel ways, dreaming about burning every single android in existence and giving up everything if he could somehow turn back the clock. The ring slipped on without any resistance but Gavin couldn't find any comfort in it.

That man was long gone – dead and buried with the man that in another world might have been his husband.

Swallowing back on a sob, Gavin pulled it off again and placed the ring back in its haven before replacing the box. His eyes fell back to the photo and he let a tear fall.

"What would you think of me now, Matt?" he asked quietly, almost as if he were afraid someone would answer him. "I know you'd kick my ass for how I've acted since, but what would you tell me to do now? Fucks knows I never thought I'd end up in the situation where one of the plastic _fucks_ that abandoned you would be working as my partner. Thought I'd willingly torch every single one of them.

"But I guess…they're different now too, aren't they? We're all different. You'd scarcely recognise me, I know. I just-Shit." Gavin hissed through a catch in his breath, chuckling bitterly as the emotion which caught in his throat passed. "I remember what you told me years ago, back when we first got serious. We agreed that if one of us ever died in the field that the other had to make them proud. Not get lost in the past, move forward. _Fuck,_ Matt…you were the way stronger one out of the two of us. Even years later I can't forget that stupid snore of yours, the smell of your aftershave or your god awful habit of sleepwalking. You gave me more jumpscares than any shitty horror game I've played.

Sighing through another wave of grief, Gavin put the picture back down and stared at it sorrowfully. "Of all the fucking twists I've had in my life, this is right up there. The first person I've fucking fallen for since I lost you, and she's a goddamn _android_." It was the first time Gavin had dared to admit out loud that he truly felt something beyond friendship for Katie – the irony of the timing wasn't lost on him.

"How do I forget, Matt? How do I stop myself from wanting to rip apart the plastic bastards that cost me the best damn thing ever to happen to me? How-" He stormed away and slammed his hands on the back of his sofa, growling through gritted teeth.

 _Can I accept her for what she is? If I even know what being an android truly mean anymore._

The tinkling of a bell interrupted Gavin's thoughts and he looked to his right, seeing Minna staring at him curiously. She was sat perfectly still, save for her tail twirling softly. Gavin looked at her with stormy eyes and was stunned when she meowed at him quietly. Minna was not a vocal cat generally, save for hissing and spitting when she was pissed (which was pretty often). This…was alien and strange.

Yet again this cat making him question his reality. Twice in one fucking night.

Regarding her warily, Gavin held out a hand and found himself smiling slightly when the cat nuzzled it affectionately, even going to far as to lick him. Wondering as to how welcoming she was feeling, Gavin was stunned when Minna purred loudly when he picked her up. Minna _didn't_ do this with people – humans, he corrected himself. Minna's behaviour with Katie earlier that night reminded him of that soberly.

"You really liked her, didn't you?" Gavin asked his cat, laughing to himself when she kept on purring away. She was completely content. "The old git that gave you to me said you were a good judge of character. If you instantly trusted her, well, that's gotta mean something. Right?"

Unsurprisingly, the cat didn't answer him, but that didn't matter. It was more food for thought.

And yet, that little factoid made his rampaging thoughts ease a little. His little psychopath felt safe around Katie, so that had to count for something. Didn't it?

His eyes fell back to his phone and when he tilted it up, Gavin groaned loudly. 04:14.

 _Can't this night be over, yet?_

* * *

As it so happened, he fell into a fitful sleep not long after that, but Gavin's position on the sofa did absolutely no favours for his battered body. His alarm blared at 07:15, but Gavin just snoozed it. After getting tossed from a fucking _building_ the day before, Fowler could kiss his ass about turning up on time today. Not to mention he wanted a word with his boss without anyone else knowing….

Finally, 09:20 rolled around and Gavin got the call he'd been waiting for. One Captain Jeffrey Fowler.

" _ **Not like you to be a lazy ass, Reed. Take it your head is like hell?"**_ came the gruff but mildly sympathetic voice on the other end of the phone. As much as Fowler was a hard-ass, he cared about the people under his command. It made him a good man and a fucking stellar captain. No matter how often he disagreed with him, Gavin never forgot that little fact.

Which is why he was just managing to keep his temper under rein.

"No surprise there," Gavin grumped back. "Strange thing though, I think getting my ass thrown off a damn roof made my head spin less than what finding out my fucking partner is an android has done to it."

Silence.

It carried on for what could almost be considered too long before Fowler spoke up again. _**"She told you then?"**_

Admission.

"Nope, figured it out myself last night," he snapped in reply. "My goddamn cat only likes androids, so imagine my surprise in finding she couldn't get enough of Katie."

" _ **From how Marshall is looking out for you to appear through the gates this morning, I'm gonna assume you haven't confronted her yet."**_

Deduction.

"Good guess."

" _ **Well that begs a good question. Why didn't you, Gavin? Not like you to hold your tongue."**_

Observation.

"'Cause I knew this went way fucking higher than just her. She couldn't pull this off without a whole heap of others being involved. All I want to know is who, and _why."_

Another sigh. _**"All right, you deserve that, Reed, though I wish Marshall had actually managed to tell you before you learned it yourself. Before I do that though, I want to make one thing completely clear. None of this was Katie's idea."**_

Submission.

"I didn't think it was," Gavin said coldly. "Not in her nature."

Fowler chuckled. _**"Never thought I'd see the day where you weren't automatically blaming an android. You might not want to hear this right now, Reed, but that android's been a good influence on you."**_

Conjecture.

"You gonna tell me some goddamn truths, Fowler, or are you going to keep spouting shit?"

Any other time, Gavin knew his ass would've been getting slapped with a disciplinary, but he'd get away with it right now. Fowler owed him at this moment. _**"All right, all right, keep your shirt on. This whole thing was suggested by Anderson and Connor the day you two were partnered up. Knowing your probable reaction, they suggested keeping the fact that Marshall was an android quiet. Connor then spun me some shit about it being a good social experiment, and he got me thinking that it was true. There's no denying that people treat Katie a hell of a lot different than they do Connor cause they think she's human."**_

Truth.

Gavin hated to admit it, but that little fact was resoundingly true. Katie was treated vastly different to Connor, simply because they felt they understood her better. She wasn't so alien, strange or other-worldly. _Fucking wrong._

He shouldn't have been surprised that Hank and Connor were the culprits behind all this, and he was willing to bet that those two intended this as a fucking prank to start with. But he couldn't deny that keeping Katie's android identity quiet was probably a good call to start with.

In all honesty, he couldn't quite believe he was handling it as well as he was now.

 _I guess actually knowing_ _ **her**_ _counts for something._

Between all his musings, Gavin was sure that Katie hadn't been faking any of their interactions. Or if she had, she was the mostly brilliant liar he'd ever come across – but then another thought dinged into his head. Connor knew, and she seemed exactly the same with him.

That made him feel a little less conflicted. Just a little.

" _ **Look, Reed, I know this gonna fuck with your head. Learning that your partner isn't what she seems is going to mess with anybody. All I need to know is if this is going to have an effect on you two in the workplace, I don't want this causing shit all over. If you can't deal, I'll move her to work with Collins in Android Crimes and give you Miller."**_

Well, moment of truth. Could he keep working with Katie, knowing that she'd been lying to him for months?

"I'm gonna talk with her, first," he said slowly. "I want some answers out of her. Depending on where that goes, that'll dictate where we go from there."

" _ **Not gonna lie, Gavin, didn't expect that, but I'm glad to hear it. Marshall is already looking antsy, so I'll send her to your place to grab you and bring you back here, all right? Take Room 5 and talk it out. Whatever you want to do after that, I'll stand by it."**_

That…was pretty fucking reasonable. Fowler must have a fair bit of empathy for Gavin's situation if he was giving him this much power.

"Deal," Gavin told him strongly. "When will you send her over?"

" _ **Right now, I want your asses working as soon as. If you just wanted my damn attention, Reed, you could have just fucking called rather than have me chase you."**_

 _That's more like Fowler – asshole in charge of the shit heap that is the DPD._

"Nah, this way was more dramatic, much more my style," he taunted in return.

Despite himself, Fowler snorted. _**"Less of that, Reed, or I'll stick you on the shittest case I've got. Get your ass ready."**_

With that, the line clicked dead. After giving the screen one last cursory glance to make sure the call had ended, Gavin sat back with a sigh and looked over to his sleeping cat at the other end of the sofa. If only he could ignore the world like that.

 _Next life, I want to come back as a house cat. They've got the best of it. Come on, Gavin, get your ass moving. You've got your showdown, so don't fuck it up._

* * *

If Katie was aware of what was coming, she was doing a damn good job of not showing anything. She'd greeted Gavin just like any other morning, if maybe a little warmer since it was in a more private setting. Despite himself, Gavin gave a glimmer of a smile in return. He might be pretty pissed, neck aching, sleep deprived and running on nothing more than caffeine, painkillers and stubbornness…but Katie had been a little sparkle in his life for a while now. He relished their snarky banter and her willingness to tell him where to stick his bullshit.

He hated to think that could all be about to change – or rather, it had already. The only thing left to ascertain was the degree. Nothing could be the same now.

It didn't take Katie long to realise that Gavin was lost inside his own head that morning. She was unsurprised after everything that had happened the previous day, but being this _inanimate_ was decidedly unlike Gavin. The ten minutes that they had spent inside their patrol vehicle had been deathly quiet, and Katie may have been cheating with her android skills slightly. She kept one eye focused on the road while casting the other off to her right, staring intently at her partner.

Gavin had done nothing more than stare out the side window and watch the world go by. Now that she thought about it, Gavin hadn't actually said a word at all. Even when she'd picked him up, they'd just shared a small non-verbal greeting. It was jarring. She knew he'd despise the comparison, but Gavin and Connor were similar in that they were almost always doing something: fidgeting, playing with an object while thinking, talking to themselves (outwardly or mentally, depending on who it was)…

So this was very out of character. It made her slightly apprehensive.

"Are you all right, Gavin?" she asked quietly. "You've not said a word."

"Nor had you up until then," he pointed out tonelessly, still staring out of the window.

Katie really didn't like this. "Okay, that's fair, but I'm not the one who almost ended up splattered on a pavement yesterday," she replied softly, wondering if she'd worded it rather indelicately. As it was, Gavin just kept staring out. "Come on, Gavin, this isn't like you. I've never known you be so…lifeless."

He snorted icily. "Now that's ironic given what's spinning through my head."

"What do you mean?"

Now he finally turned to look at her, at the coldness there made Katie's pump seize.

"Is there something you want to tell me about yourself, Katie? Something you hadn't mentioned up until now?"

She was panicking internally, through outwardly she only showed mild confusion. _Shit, he knows…_

"Gavin, I-"

Screaming from outside the car snatched their attention, and the pair were instantly on high alert. Whatever was going on between them personally, they were both determined police officers, and that screech was nothing short of terrified. The pedestrians on the right side of the street scattered as if fire was chasing them, and it was then that the pair realised a scuffle had broken out. Before they could even get out of their car, however, a shout went up that changed the whole situation.

" _ **We've got cops! Get those fucking pigs!"**_

Katie screamed when the windshield shattered apart as bullets hailed down on their position, the pair of them ducking down as far as they could. She frantically hit reverse, trying to back out of the dangerous situation, but the shooters targeted their tyres. With flats, she could do nothing more than spin out. The car came to a halt at an angle, and it was Gavin's door which was taking the majority of the fire. Now they had an exit, and some cover.

"Go!" Gavin shouted, to which Katie kicked open her door and scrambled out, laying down covering fire for her partner to clamber out over the added impediment of the gear shift. He came to a stop next to her and had to swiftly duck as the passenger windows began to rain down upon them in jagged shards. "Shit! You okay?" he asked with a concerned hand on her arm.

"I'm good!" Katie confirmed while elbowing out another window, giving her a cleaner line of sight to return fire. Her android aim meant that she was much more accurate, but with the perps so far away, there was enough time for them to duck back into cover. As it was, only half of the group seemed to be focusing on them, while the rest were squabbling with each other. Knuckle dusters, knives…they saved their firearms for the two detectives who had just landed up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Gavin reached up back into the car and grasped for the radio, quickly opening a channel to call for help. "Dispatch, this is 3310 with 6731 in car 19. We're under heavy fire on Broadway Avenue and require immediate backup!" he yelled down the receiver.

" _Copy that 3310, sending all available units to your location. Situation update?"_

"Looks like a gang brawl which we've stumbled into the middle of! Got the full works with 'em."

" _Understood. Hang tight, 3310. Backup is en route."_

Knowing that help was on the way, both detectives kept up a steady barrage of gunfire to keep the gang members back. Gavin swore when he ran out of ammo and reached back into his harness for another clip, but it was inside his jacket in the back of the car. Cursing his scatterbrain of that morning, he got his partner's attention. "Katie!" she turned quickly in response to the call, diving back down as two shots got dangerously close. "I'm out, how many clips you got?"

"Two more!" she shouted back while chancing a look up, spying their company closing it. At least the fire fight had scared off any innocent bystanders. A tell-tale click from her handgun was ill timed, to which she pulled one of the reloads from her belt. "Make that one," she said while handing the one final clip to Gavin, who loaded up again.

"Fuck, we can't keep this up! We need to get into shelter!"

"I don't think we're going to be getting out from behind the car, Gavin!" The pair jumped when a Molotov was hurled in their direction, sailing over them to land a few metres past, but it got both of their hearts racing. A burst of heat had Gavin flinching, to which he snarled and leant back up to return fire. The male detective switched sides with his younger partner seamlessly to give him a better angle to fire at when another Molotov landed just in front of the car, but the distraction was deadly.

The onslaught of combustibles allowed two gang members to slip along the side of the street, and it was only when they were all but parallel with the pair that Katie noticed them. Realising that Gavin was right in the line of fire, Katie hauled him back and threw her body in front of him, using herself as a shield while returning fire. " _Gavin!"_

He shouted in surprise at the quick change of position, but his brief anger was instantly extinguished at hearing the cacophony of exchanging gunfire, and three screams of pain. Two male, and one female. Gavin felt the moment Katie was hit, his stomach souring at not only hearing her agonised shout but seeing the blood which spattered against the side of their patrol car. Katie instantly slumped against him, her legs giving out as she trembled from the shock to her systems. The two perps had been brought down by her infallible aim. " _Shit, Katie!"_

Without thinking, Gavin grabbed back for the receiver still dangling from the seat of the open driver's door. "Officer down, I repeat, officer down! We need EMT's, stat!" he barked down it, discarding the item before turning his attention to his shivering partner. It was only when he looked down to see the multitude of wounds that it suddenly hit him.

Blue. Katie's blood was blue, as was the spatter against the car.

Despite having already figured it out, it took Gavin's mind a second to catch up, at which he could see how terrified Katie was. He then swore at himself for having gone on autopilot – paramedics weren't going to be able to help her, she needed a technician. "Katie, how bad is your damage?" he asked as calmly as he could, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to pull her back tight to his chest from their cover.

Katie stared up at him in petrified shock, amazed that Gavin was acting like this. Being confronted with her nature like this would have caused him to freak, she'd been so sure of it. Unfortunately, their situation ill afforded the wasted time, and they were dangerously vulnerable with only one of them fit to continue. "Katie, how bad is it?!" he all but screamed. Nothing prepared Gavin for the sheer onslaught of emotions which hit him at her reply.

"I'm-I'm going to shut down in 4 minutes 23 seconds."

His first thoughts were denial and anguish – there was no way Katie could be dying right in front of him. With that little time, there was no way to get help to her fast enough, but then his brain kicked back into gear. Katie was an android: death wasn't necessarily permanent for them. If she could be repaired, she could come back. Fuck, he'd never thought he'd be glad for someone being an android, but it gave her a chance.

In the back of his mind, Gavin had to wonder _why_ Katie had thrown herself in front of him. Why would she risk herself for _him –_ the asshole who had done nothing but curse androids the whole time she had known him?

"Can you be reactivated with your damage?" he asked hoarsely, all but scared to say it any louder, despite the gunfire.

 _Fuck, please don't let her say she's beyond saving. I can't lose her too._

Katie was again surprised, but swallowed before nodding. "My chance of successful reactivation is 63%. Any more damage will reduce it depending on the severity."

Now knowing what he had to do, Gavin swung her arm over his shoulder and hauled Katie to her feet, shouting when the android couldn't bear her weight. "Fuck! Can't you walk?"

"No, my systems are glitching from the damage," she admitted painfully, and Gavin could now see the scale of it. Six bullets, and he could see her wires and biocomponents sparking from where her skin had fritzed out and her chassis was showing through. Two of the holes were showing red, and even with his limited knowledge of android anatomy, he knew that was bad. Especially when one of them was the red circle of light shining from her abdomen – no wonder she was in such bad shape when her thirium pump regulator had been hit.

"Can you move your legs even if you can't bear your weight?" he asked breathlessly, reaching up to fire a few shots before anyone else got any ideas about getting up close and personal to see they were down for the count.

"Yes," she confirmed while keeping herself aloft with her grip on Gavin's shoulder.

"Then cover us while I get our asses the fuck out of here!"

Gavin span around and dragged them towards a dumpster at the left hand side of the road, barely managing to keep them moving as Katie turned back to lay down covering fire. A few shots whizzed by too close, and Katie yelped as another caught her in the leg. The male detective swore at hearing her scream and set her down gently against the dumpster before turning back to fire once more. Katie passed him her gun when he ran out of ammo, but she knew she was almost out herself. When that was gone, they had no further means of defending themselves.

Blinking way the shutdown timer which was now creeping below the three minute mark, Katie yelled over to her partner. "Gavin, get the hell out of here!" she begged. "You've only got a few more shots before we're sitting ducks!"

"I'm not fucking leaving you!" he barked in reply, growling at the gunfire which was getting closer. More bodies piled in from another alley on the opposite side and Gavin was cursing their shitty luck. These assholes had to have backup of their own, didn't they? "Fuck!"

"Gavin, please, just _go!_ I can be reactivated, but you're human! Get yourself to better cover!"

The screech of sirens further up the street was a welcome relief. Help was finally here and snapped attention away from them. Just in time, as Gavin had run out of ammo. They had nothing left. Maybe the paramedics could do something for Katie with all the advancements in android rights, but not all of them carried supplies for androids readily. Regardless of that, they wouldn't be able to approach until the scene was safe – and this was far from safe.

"I am not abandoning my partner! I'm not leaving _you!_ " he snapped back, but the pained edge was unmissable to both of them.

Katie's eyes widened in horror as she saw one gang member clock their vulnerability from across the street, to which Gavin spun. He too saw the danger, but he wasn't running.

He'd meant every word he said – he was _not_ going to leave her to die.

Gavin stretched over to stop Katie from being hit again as the gangster fired, two of his five shots hitting their mark. The pair of bullets ripped through Gavin's chest, nicking an artery and the other going straight into his right lung to lodge there. " _ **Gavin!**_ " she howled at seeing her partner being thrown back from the impacts, instantly blacking out from the combination of pain and the blow to his head. The gang member had to retreat as he came under fire from the responding officers, but it was too late for them.

Katie sobbed as she collapsed on to her side, hauling herself along the ground to see the horrendous wounds. Gavin was already bleeding profusely, and it she knew the blood loss would kill him if she didn't do something. Drawing her own blue stained hand from her own abdomen, Katie ruthlessly shoved her own fingers into the bullet wound in Gavin's upper chest. Using her android sight, she managed to locate the bleed and lock on to it with her fingers. She prayed it was enough.

"Gavin… _why? Why would you do that you stupid_ _ **bastard!"**_ she wailed through her tears, wishing help would come sooner. The gunfire was barely dying down, it would still be some time before aid could reach them. She glanced up from where she was crumpled on the ground to see the familiar faces of Chris and Ben firing from their own patrol car thirty two metres away. So close but so far.

Unable to do anything but clamp on to the bleed which threatened to kill Gavin, Katie cried silently while watching her own shut down timer creep down. It was no unavoidable, and she was terrified. She could sense Connor trying to get in touch with her, but she didn't have the strength left to respond.

Katie begged within her own mind that she'd see both him and Gavin again. Not waking up again was one nightmare – returning to find out that Gavin had died saving her life was another entirely. Not after lying to him for so long: and yet, somehow, he'd still been willing to sacrifice himself for her.

 _Please, don't let him die…_

The seconds continued to bleed away, and knowing what was coming, Katie pulled out her other hand to take a tight hold of Gavin's own bloodied one. It provided the smallest comfort as she tapped into her systems with all she had left.

 _ **MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEMS LOCKED**_

Now at least she could continue to act a clamp after she shut down. Anything which could help spare Gavin.

Closing her eyes against the mayhem, her auditory systems went offline just as her optics did, and the blaring red numbers did nothing more than cause her to be swallowed by terror. A whimper escaped her everything vanished.

 _I'm-I'm scared…_

 _ **-00:00:03**_

 _ **-00:00:02**_

 _ **-00:00:01**_

 _ **FULL SYSTEM SHUTDOWN**_

* * *

I suppose this isn't technically a cliff hanger since you all know the two of them survive, but there is more to this side of the story yet. Remember, you never found out what happened to Katie which left her so traumatised…beyond shutting down, obviously.

So, I hope this was worth the wait! See you all again soon!

 _ ***Smooch***_


End file.
